New Mexico's "Mr. Close", passes bill to "open" federal lands

A key Senate committee on Thursday approved Sen. Martin Heinrich’s legislation to open more federal lands for hunting, fishing and other recreational pursuits. Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, sponsored the Sportsmen’s Act with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who is chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The measure would also permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired in September, and dedicate a portion of its budget to securing public access to existing federal lands. An avid hunter and fisherman who is a member of the committee, Heinrich expressed gratitude for the bipartisan support for his bill. The bill would establish a national policy for federal agencies to expand and enhance sportsmen’s opportunities and make “open unless closed” the standard for access to federal lands throughout the United States...more

How ironic that Martin Heinrich, who is personally responsible for restricting or limiting access to almost a million acres of federal land in NM, is now touting his support for access to federal lands.