Thank you for the Herculean effort on your part to digest and assess this monstrosity of a bill. This gang of thieves has had four years to plan how they would rape, loot and pillage America’s public lands on behalf of the extractive industries. They have obviously used their time wisely. Now it’s up to those of us who don’t want to see these beautiful places become dumping grounds to act. If we don’t raise our voices and make ourselves heard throughout the corridors of power then future generations will wonder why.
Thanks Anthony. It’s important we understand how cataclysmic this bill is for our public lands. They think they’ve won and snuck these outrageous provisions through. It’s up to us to stop them.
Unfortunately, I think Medicaid and taxes feels more tangible to people, so the articles are easy to write/get in front of people.
This is so awful, and hard to explain just how bad it is to someone without a baseline understanding of the incredible value of pubic lands and preservation provide to our health and well-being. It's disheartening how hard it is to get people to understand clean air, water, and soil are finite resource that we must protect to be able to continue to live on the planet. 200million board feet+ lost with exponential increase annually is not sustainable!
I'm so frustrated with this as well! I thought the sale of public lands being removed from the big ugly bill meant all this crap came out too. I should have known it wasn't that simple - extraction for the benefit of billionaires and corporations will not go away easily.
I'll keep contacting my Senators and watching for actions you recommend. Thanks for all the time and effort you are investing.
Thank you for giving us truth about the land robbery within the bill! This is a direct assault on the environment, we do not need more coal, we do need more oil, we the people need to keep pressure on our elected officials at state and federal levels. Also if possible donate to environmental groups. It makes me sick to see the amount of logging done around me, I live in Oregon.
Thanks Stacey. And right you are. No one but lobbyists for polluters asked for this. I lived in Oregon once upon a time, such a beautiful state. It makes me sick what this will do to the state's forests. I'm sorry Stacey, but the outlook is really bad for Oregon.
Thanks Frances. I've hatched a scheme to try and stop this. It'll depend on the spine of Senate Democrats which so far looks awfully weak. But it's our last best hope. More to come on that.
Ok good I sent the stack directly. to amplfiy .Aggravated there is more chatter about the Epstein files Food & Water Safety going to send them the article too. Maybe we should time a National Strike with the upcoming debt ceiling in August . Is just a thought.
I think it's all about the appropriations bill. That's the opportunity. I'm working on a list of demands. Democrats can and must include these riders in the bill and be willing to shut down the government indefinitely until they get them. That's the hill we die on.
Thank you this excellent synopsis of what is in the bill, what is at stake and also giving us the heads up on what can still be done to stop the damage. This information is very good tool for us to use to now to spread the word to as many as we can - and that does make a difference. They count on people not being aware, not noticing.
I camp a lot after winter snowmelt and when I relate what I’ve experienced this year as the effects of underfunding already - access roads still gated off, rough roads not maintained, potable water sources turned off, vault toilets not maintained, no campground hosts, no staff available at USFS/ BLM information centers,etc, etc - people seem surprised it is happening already but do take note. It is real folks. And it is not good. Yes, we need to work on members of congress - but if we inform more people now then we have more people involved in that work. And it’s going to take a lot of our voices to drown out the corporate interests.
Well said Patty and thanks for reading and sharing. It's going to take a massive effort to stop this, but it can be done. None of us can afford to sit on the sidelines though. We've got to get the truth out and get people stirred up.
Precisely. It's both an ideological crusade against conservation and a massive giveaway to resource extraction industry lobbyists. It's the Koch Brothers dream come true and America's nightmare.
We all should, unfortunately. It's hard to even begin to describe what this bill will do to America's public lands in a few short years. It has to be stopped.
Thank you for writing this. I was so focused on calling and writing to stop the sale of public lands, I had no idea about all this madness. I feel sick. I am angry. I am in utter disbelief. Cut the trees!?! Coal!?! Send everything on the endangered species list to extinction status!?! Defund the EPA?! Why? WHY? This is what they think will make America great? Seriously? Our government is nothing but a weapon of mass destruction. Don’t we all have to live on the same earth? I have subscribed. I want to help.
It’s depraved. They simply don’t care about the devastating consequences of their actions. Thank you for subscribing and joining the fight! Much more to come!
This assessment of the environmental damage mandated by the Big Ugly Bill describes the savage rape of our federal lands. The lawmakers who voted for this disaster should simply resign out of shame.
Thank you. Excellent reporting. In the meantime, support 💵the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and the Center for Biodiversity which tend to litigate VERY successfully to slow or stop these horrific grabs.
That’s better in my court because both Senators are great especially with conservation issues (Virginia). I just wonder how we get a permanent fix for keeping OUR lands in the management of qualified people. How do we get things out of the political sphere and into the care of those who know what they’re doing?
Thank you for researching and reporting this egregious violation of logic, sanity, and the safety of our environment! Surely EarthJustice, NRDC and others will be bringing lawsuits wherever possible, but it will be much more difficult. Looking forward to continuing pressure on lawmakers to change these ludicrous measures.
Ya now this madness is law. It’s an act of Congress. That’s what’s so devastating. But we’ll have our chance to stop the worst of this in September. Stay tuned.
In the last bit you wrote exactly what I, and most likely many of us, have been thinking. Why are they doing this to our country? What kind of people are they that they do this kind of harm? How will our country even survive this and all the other drastic measures the Trump administration and the people behind him are enacting? Our government is for the people and by the people. This isn’t that. There will be nothing for the people. The people who pay the taxes. The people who might need help.
It’s hard to fathom Libby. It really is. I think you have to have lost a great deal of your humanity to knowingly vote for this mass destruction of our lands. We will fight back with everything we have.
Its beyond comprehension that anyone is willing to desecrate their own environment, their family's environment- essentially making it uninhabitable in any imaginably healthy way. It's just as hard to imagine how allegedly well-educated people- who must have at least a basic understanding of living systems- can allow the dollar signs to lure them ..I mean, there is such intrinsic value in clean air and water! and we can't compromise them without compromising our very existence...isn't this the most basic kindergarden truth? Apparently not anymore. Coal mining wtf ...
Thank you both for the time you put into compiling this catalogue of disasters it must have taken weeks! I was letting my paid subscription lapse for budget reasons but on the strength of this effort I am renewing the paid part!
I live in western Oregon snhe mandated sales are going to be devastating. They try to clear-cut up to a few hundred yards or so of the highways crossing the Coast Range. In effect it reverses the original situation of the highways being narrow corridors of felled trees and road through a sea of green. Now, the highways become narrow corridors of green through a brown hellscape of splintered wood and stumps.
Thank you Michael! You are a true friend of our efforts. I fear the impacts on Oregon’s beautiful forests will be catastrophic. We’ll fight this tooth and nail.
I remember that look...1968, 8 years old, my 1st time in OR, seeing the thin facade of single-aged roadside evergreens like a poorly built fence behind which, the clear-cuts... Nevertheless all the majesty prevailed, my dream of OR began- and now that I could just maybe, barely make a stand there, this!! ...If I choose to come still, I'll be ready to join the fight. 💪🏼🌲
Thank you for the Herculean effort on your part to digest and assess this monstrosity of a bill. This gang of thieves has had four years to plan how they would rape, loot and pillage America’s public lands on behalf of the extractive industries. They have obviously used their time wisely. Now it’s up to those of us who don’t want to see these beautiful places become dumping grounds to act. If we don’t raise our voices and make ourselves heard throughout the corridors of power then future generations will wonder why.
Thanks Anthony. It’s important we understand how cataclysmic this bill is for our public lands. They think they’ve won and snuck these outrageous provisions through. It’s up to us to stop them.
How? Petitions? Piecemeal lawsuits that will go on and on indefinitely? Protests? America VOTED for this. And they got it.
What good will raising our voices do now? This bill is now law. Even the Supreme Court won't touch this.
If there are generations left to pass it on to.
Exactly!
Absolutely shocking, indefensible, and virtually unreported by big media.
Yep. Virtually every article is Medicaid and taxes. Never mind that the whole of our public lands are being massacred by law.
Unfortunately, I think Medicaid and taxes feels more tangible to people, so the articles are easy to write/get in front of people.
This is so awful, and hard to explain just how bad it is to someone without a baseline understanding of the incredible value of pubic lands and preservation provide to our health and well-being. It's disheartening how hard it is to get people to understand clean air, water, and soil are finite resource that we must protect to be able to continue to live on the planet. 200million board feet+ lost with exponential increase annually is not sustainable!
I'm so frustrated with this as well! I thought the sale of public lands being removed from the big ugly bill meant all this crap came out too. I should have known it wasn't that simple - extraction for the benefit of billionaires and corporations will not go away easily.
I'll keep contacting my Senators and watching for actions you recommend. Thanks for all the time and effort you are investing.
The news media has a responsibility not only to report on "popular" subjects, but to inform the public about what it probably does not know.
Thank you for giving us truth about the land robbery within the bill! This is a direct assault on the environment, we do not need more coal, we do need more oil, we the people need to keep pressure on our elected officials at state and federal levels. Also if possible donate to environmental groups. It makes me sick to see the amount of logging done around me, I live in Oregon.
Thanks Stacey. And right you are. No one but lobbyists for polluters asked for this. I lived in Oregon once upon a time, such a beautiful state. It makes me sick what this will do to the state's forests. I'm sorry Stacey, but the outlook is really bad for Oregon.
Thank you Jim!
Thank you Jim & Will for all the hard work . We will continue to amplify and fight back. 🇺🇸💪✌️
Thanks Frances. I've hatched a scheme to try and stop this. It'll depend on the spine of Senate Democrats which so far looks awfully weak. But it's our last best hope. More to come on that.
Ok good I sent the stack directly. to amplfiy .Aggravated there is more chatter about the Epstein files Food & Water Safety going to send them the article too. Maybe we should time a National Strike with the upcoming debt ceiling in August . Is just a thought.
I think it's all about the appropriations bill. That's the opportunity. I'm working on a list of demands. Democrats can and must include these riders in the bill and be willing to shut down the government indefinitely until they get them. That's the hill we die on.
I sent to Publix Citizen as well. ✌️
Thank you this excellent synopsis of what is in the bill, what is at stake and also giving us the heads up on what can still be done to stop the damage. This information is very good tool for us to use to now to spread the word to as many as we can - and that does make a difference. They count on people not being aware, not noticing.
I camp a lot after winter snowmelt and when I relate what I’ve experienced this year as the effects of underfunding already - access roads still gated off, rough roads not maintained, potable water sources turned off, vault toilets not maintained, no campground hosts, no staff available at USFS/ BLM information centers,etc, etc - people seem surprised it is happening already but do take note. It is real folks. And it is not good. Yes, we need to work on members of congress - but if we inform more people now then we have more people involved in that work. And it’s going to take a lot of our voices to drown out the corporate interests.
Well said Patty and thanks for reading and sharing. It's going to take a massive effort to stop this, but it can be done. None of us can afford to sit on the sidelines though. We've got to get the truth out and get people stirred up.
Stunning. It is wanton destruction simply for the sake of wanton destruction. Rolling back royalty rates???
Precisely. It's both an ideological crusade against conservation and a massive giveaway to resource extraction industry lobbyists. It's the Koch Brothers dream come true and America's nightmare.
I feel sick
We all should, unfortunately. It's hard to even begin to describe what this bill will do to America's public lands in a few short years. It has to be stopped.
Get the word out! We will be keeping a list of companies and subsidiaries and products which choose to ruin the lands. Boycotts, protests, no mercy.
Thank you for writing this. I was so focused on calling and writing to stop the sale of public lands, I had no idea about all this madness. I feel sick. I am angry. I am in utter disbelief. Cut the trees!?! Coal!?! Send everything on the endangered species list to extinction status!?! Defund the EPA?! Why? WHY? This is what they think will make America great? Seriously? Our government is nothing but a weapon of mass destruction. Don’t we all have to live on the same earth? I have subscribed. I want to help.
It’s depraved. They simply don’t care about the devastating consequences of their actions. Thank you for subscribing and joining the fight! Much more to come!
This assessment of the environmental damage mandated by the Big Ugly Bill describes the savage rape of our federal lands. The lawmakers who voted for this disaster should simply resign out of shame.
Thank you. Excellent reporting. In the meantime, support 💵the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and the Center for Biodiversity which tend to litigate VERY successfully to slow or stop these horrific grabs.
Wow. I can’t even finish reading your list. We have to find a way to fight this.
And we will. It’ll be up to Senate democrats to stop this. They have the ability. Whether they have the spine is another question.
That’s better in my court because both Senators are great especially with conservation issues (Virginia). I just wonder how we get a permanent fix for keeping OUR lands in the management of qualified people. How do we get things out of the political sphere and into the care of those who know what they’re doing?
Thank you for researching and reporting this egregious violation of logic, sanity, and the safety of our environment! Surely EarthJustice, NRDC and others will be bringing lawsuits wherever possible, but it will be much more difficult. Looking forward to continuing pressure on lawmakers to change these ludicrous measures.
Ya now this madness is law. It’s an act of Congress. That’s what’s so devastating. But we’ll have our chance to stop the worst of this in September. Stay tuned.
Will do. Many thanks for spearheading this movement!
In the last bit you wrote exactly what I, and most likely many of us, have been thinking. Why are they doing this to our country? What kind of people are they that they do this kind of harm? How will our country even survive this and all the other drastic measures the Trump administration and the people behind him are enacting? Our government is for the people and by the people. This isn’t that. There will be nothing for the people. The people who pay the taxes. The people who might need help.
It’s hard to fathom Libby. It really is. I think you have to have lost a great deal of your humanity to knowingly vote for this mass destruction of our lands. We will fight back with everything we have.
Its beyond comprehension that anyone is willing to desecrate their own environment, their family's environment- essentially making it uninhabitable in any imaginably healthy way. It's just as hard to imagine how allegedly well-educated people- who must have at least a basic understanding of living systems- can allow the dollar signs to lure them ..I mean, there is such intrinsic value in clean air and water! and we can't compromise them without compromising our very existence...isn't this the most basic kindergarden truth? Apparently not anymore. Coal mining wtf ...
Thank you both for the time you put into compiling this catalogue of disasters it must have taken weeks! I was letting my paid subscription lapse for budget reasons but on the strength of this effort I am renewing the paid part!
I live in western Oregon snhe mandated sales are going to be devastating. They try to clear-cut up to a few hundred yards or so of the highways crossing the Coast Range. In effect it reverses the original situation of the highways being narrow corridors of felled trees and road through a sea of green. Now, the highways become narrow corridors of green through a brown hellscape of splintered wood and stumps.
Thank you Michael! You are a true friend of our efforts. I fear the impacts on Oregon’s beautiful forests will be catastrophic. We’ll fight this tooth and nail.
I remember that look...1968, 8 years old, my 1st time in OR, seeing the thin facade of single-aged roadside evergreens like a poorly built fence behind which, the clear-cuts... Nevertheless all the majesty prevailed, my dream of OR began- and now that I could just maybe, barely make a stand there, this!! ...If I choose to come still, I'll be ready to join the fight. 💪🏼🌲
Liked your reply! By all means come out to our Left Coast. We are still free here and cherish our land and liberties.
Knew they would do something. Thanks for the post.