Earth haters rousing rabble for Koch, DeVos

Putting the country on the path of protecting at least 30 percent of its land and 30 percent of its ocean areas by 2030 (30x30) is imperative to preserving public spaces.

But Earth haters funded by the Koch and DeVos cabals through Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund and scattered in the American West are aiming to derail President Joe Biden's America the Beautiful Initiative. In January, Bowman County, North Dakota Sheriff Frank Eberle began rousing rabble after a local Farm Bureau attacked the initiative. 

Here in New Mexico, Otero County Commissioner and Trump disciple, Couy Griffin is alleging voter fraud and defying the Lincoln National Forest's plan revision. A Texas group calling itself American Stewards of Liberty with ties to the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion has presented anti-Earth resolutions to a receptive Otero County Commission. 

Margaret Byfield is the daughter of a couple from Nevada who grazed their cattle without permits on federal land.

In terms of public lands, Byfield said the “threats” in the 30×30 plan include an increase in the numbers of wilderness areas, wilderness study areas and national monuments. She gave the example of the recent forest management plan for Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico. This plan calls for the creation of new wilderness areas and wilderness study areas. American Stewards of Liberty is also planning a rally on April 22, or Earth Day, with speakers like U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. The underlying theme of the American Stewards of Liberty’s message is that the 30×30 initiative is a land grab that threatens private property rights and will ultimately lead to large swaths of land being cut off from public access. [A small Texas-based group urges New Mexico counties to oppose 30×30]

Recall Herr Trump's first Interior secretary blamed wildfires in the West on those he called “radical environmentalists” despite most acres burned in 2021 on private ranch land in Republican counties. On the final day of Trump’s presidency his last Interior secretary even restored a grazing permit to the Hammond Ranch whose prescriptive burn escaped onto federal land. 

Learn more at the Alamogordo Daily News.

“Zinke’s order for the government to reissue a 10-year grazing permit to the Hammonds this year ‘was arbitrary and capricious’ and unlawful.” #orpol #mtpol https://t.co/YLRoWmHhyF

— interested party (@larry_kurtz) July 16, 2019