BLM Policy Punted like a Political Football | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 74)
24m
Randy Newberg TAKEOVER!
Marcus and Michael are busy catching Walleye and Smallmouth so Randy stepped in to deliver this week’s news.
On this week’s episode, we are celebrating Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 40th Anniversary. In the last 40 years, RMEF has amassed 12,000 members, conserved 8.9 million acres as well as improved or secured access for 1.5 million acres. The mission continues!
To signup for RMEF visit this link - https://www.rmef.org/join/
40th Anniversary Articles
https://www.rmef.org/elk-network/celebrating-40-years-of-volunteers/
https://www.rmef.org/40th-anniversary/page/2/
Also on this week’s episode, Randy digs into the “politicizing of wildlife management”. Nevada, Vermont and Kansas are in the news for bills that could shake up their Wildlife Commissions appointment process.
Nevada - https://knpr.org/show/knprs-state-of-
nevada/2024-04-26/why-nevadas-wildlife-commission-is-under-scrutiny
Vermont- https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.258
https://www.howlforwildlife.org/vts258
Kansas - https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2530/
https://congressionalsportsmen.org/news/commission-restructuring-bill-gains-
momentum-during-kansas-veto-session/
To get involved and stay in the know, consider signing up for HOWL’s email list - www.howlforwildlife.org
Upcoming news! The Wyoming corner crossing case appears at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. To catch up on the case, check out the below links.
https://wyofile.com/corner-crossing-hunters-cattle-king-era-is-over/
https://publicland.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/opinion-in-wyoming-corner-crossing-
lawsuit.pdf
Lastly, a severe case of Mange will be impacting the Eastern Black Bear populations of Virginia and many neighboring states.
The WyldLife Fund - Pronghorn Fund - https://thewyldlifefund.org/preserving-wyomings-crown-jewel-the-pronghorn-fund/
For this week’s deeper dive, Randy plays referee in the latest game of Political Football. The House of Representatives just passed the WEST Act, an Act that would eliminate the BLMs current
proposal to put conservation and landscape productivity on the same footing as other uses under the “Multiple Use” mandates Federal land agencies are required to operate
under.
To read the entire 176 page proposal, the WEST Act, and editorials from Outdoor Life, check out the below links.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/blm-rule-controversy/
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/blm-public-lands-rule-proposal/
https://www.blm.gov/public-lands-rule
https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2024-04/BLM-Conservation-Landscape-
Health-Final-Rule.pdf
https://www.blm.gov/press-release/interior-department-releases-proposed-plan-guide-
balanced-management-public-lands