Category: Public Lands

Can we make Oregon great again? Maybe. If we harvest our natural resources correctly
Can Oregon be Made Great Again

Can Oregon be Made Great Again

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Show Summary: This week we continue our discussion on natural resources. Last week, the Pebble Mine in Alaska is poised to begin harvesting half a trillion dollars. What’s Oregon doing with their natural resources? We talk with Dr. Bob Zybach to find out what Oregon is doing wrong and what we should be doing. We also talk with Sam Carpenter who is running for governor as the Republican. He has some unique ideas on how to fix Oregon. Could Oregon turn red?

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Original Air Dates: Month 20 & 21, 2018 | Dr. Bob Zybach & Sam Carpenter

Why is it when we discuss natural resources it seems as if immediately those resources are always aligned with environmental issues?  Why is it they are never considered resources and their impact on income and expenses instead?  Especially when we are discussing rural communities who are nearing bankruptcy. A family turns to their bank accounts (their resource) as they determine budgets.  Shouldn’t a state such as Oregon who has natural resources in their land “bank” be doing the same?

For instance, the wild fires that burned over a million acres of resources this past summer cost Oregon taxpayers a lot of money. That burn cost Oregonians a minimum of half a billion dollars.  Money that Oregon’s depleted bank resources doesn’t have.  And what’s the answer that Kate Brown, Oregon’s governor, has come up with?  Sell off a state forest that if managed is capable of supplying $400 million for Oregon’s schools. And not only does she want to sell it off, but she wants to sell it off at a quarter of its value.  A very bad deal.

Oregon’s Natural Resources: Money does Grow on Trees

Oregon is a land rich with natural resources just waiting to be harvested
Oregon is a land rich with natural resources just waiting to be harvested

Our first guest, Dr. Bob Zybach, focuse s on why harvesting and managing our forests and natural resources would not only save Oregon tax payers money, it would make them a small fortune. And if managed well would turn around an economic disaster in rural communities. Who wants to inhale smoked-filled skies or watch wildlife habitat be destroyed?  No one.  It’s a no-brainer to get behind and support people who are willing to step up and offer solutions. Dr. Zybach offers his well-researched, practical experiences he’s had as a hands-on forester to stop this nonsense of fires in Oregon.

Don’t miss the shocking “workaround” that Governor Kate came up with to get around pesky state laws. Not only will we not make money on the Elliott Forest, we’re spending our future.

Can Oregon be Made Great Again?

We then turn to Republican gubernatorial candidate, Sam Carpenter, who has very intriguing ideas on how to get Oregon into a positive win/win scenario on these needless fires and to get Oregon into overall financial health.  A 30-year, highly experienced businessman specializing in fixing businesses in trouble, Mr. Carpenter brings a wide compliment of innovative ideas into the mix.  Having been a forester himself, he pinpoints the problems Oregonians want solved regarding forests and forest management.

Using his professional experience as a successful CEO he discusses not only his thoughts on forest management but how he’d tap into the advisors he’s already working with to find the best solutions to stop the needless waste.  A man who’s lived in rural areas all of his life, he understands the value of bringing their rural areas up to standards with living wages the way it used to be in Oregon.

And don’t miss his notions on how to win in Oregon.  Hint: It’s not about “reaching across the aisle” by giving up your principles, which is what so many Republicans think they need to do to attract Democrat votes.

Can Oregon can be made great again? Don’t miss a show that will give you a lot of hope!

 

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Do you have a great business? Want your business to grow? We can help! Become a sponsor of the I Spy Radio show and we’ll get your business on the air all across Oregon. We have some special deals for new advertisers – but you have to call us directly. Drop us an email at sales@ispyradio.com or 503-465-iSpy (4779).

Podcast Version

Links Mentioned

  • Advertising with I Spy Radio – 2018 is off to a great start with a real opportunity for businesses to expand and grow. Will your business be one of them? You’ve got to advertise Thanks to the Trump tax cut, even here in Oregon people will have more money to spend.. But they can’t buy from you if they don’t know you’re out there. We can get you on the air on our network of stations all across Oregon. We have some special deals for new advertisers – but you have to call us directly. Drop us an email at sales@ispyradio.com or 503-465-iSpy (4779).
  • Save 25% on your tickets for the Mike Huckabee event, Speak Life 18! Use ispyradio as the discount code when ordering from oregonlifeunited.org’speaklife
  • Sam Carpenter’s website: MakeOregonGreatAgain.com and his Facebook page is Sam Carpenter for Oregon

Related Links

a half trillion dollars is just waiting to be harvested form the Pebble Mine
Pebble Mine — Winning against Environmentalists

Pebble Mine — Winning against Environmentalists

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Show Summary: The Trump administration is winning against extreme environmentalists. Tune in to hear some exciting news about the Pebble Mine project in Alaska, its tremendous wealth just waiting to be taken, and how the rabid environmentalists are the past,  not the future. Also, we talk with Jeff Jimerson of Oregon Life United about their plans to turn the tide for pro-life in Oregon in 2018.

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Original Air Dates: Jan. 13 & 14, 2018 | Jeff Jimerson & Mike Heatwole

Welcome to another edition and another year of I Spy Radio — helping you to get a little more intelligence on big govt. If this is your first time joining us, a special welcome to you as we kick off a new year. We hope you’ll join us every week as we give you more intelligence in one hour than most shows do in three.

This week

The first part of a two-part series focused on natural resources. And there is some good news on that front—for once.

Speak Life 2018

But before we get to the natural resources portion, our first guest is Jeff Jimerson, founder of Oregon Life United and lead petitioner to stop taxpayer funded abortions in Oregon.  To help get the word out on this signature initiative, his organization is bringing Mike Huckabee to Oregon, January 21st and 22nd.

We talk to Jeff about whether it’s true or not that Oregon has no pro-life laws to protect the unborn. No parental notification, no limits?  And then don’t miss the information on Gov. Huckabee’s visit to Oregon at their Speak Life 2018 event—and that’s not all.  This group has some exciting plans coming up, so we’ll be having Jeff back on to give updates as plans come to fruition.

Progressive politicians are wrong if they think free abortions for all is a winning strategy. Especially for today’s youth. Polls show an overwhelming majority of today’s youth are pro-life. Why? Because they’re the sonogram generation. They grew up at a time mom came home from the doctor with sonogram pictures and say, “See? This is your baby brother or this is your baby sister. Here’s the head… Here’s her arm…” They know that’s a baby in there, not some “blob of tissue.”

Pebble Mine

Then we switch hats to focus on natural resources something environmentalists have fought against for years.  But what these extremists don’t understand is that being an environmentalist doesn’t mean we can’t touch natural resources, it’s more about how you treat the lands and the people when you do harvest resources.

The Pebble Mine. Just waiting for permit approvalWe head back to Bristol Bay, Alaska, to talk about one of the most richest mineral deposits in the world: the Pebble Mine project.  A mine that has been put on hold for years as the Obama administration refused to even allow the permitting process to begin.

Long-time listeners of I Spy will remember that Pebble Partnership was forced to sue the EPA to give them same rights as any other mining company and discovered that the EPA had been conspiring with environmental groups to stop the Pebble Mine from ever submitting a permit application.

Now with the Trump administration in place the EPA has allowed the permitting process to begin, a process that will take years to finalize.  And with a growing economy, America will need the gold, copper, and other minerals of Pebble Mine to build computers, cell phones, and other essentials that we use daily in our lives.

Winning against Environmentalists

But it’s more than just Pebble Mine. Tune in to hear how after years of shutting down and, dare we say, terrorizing industry, the extreme environmentalists are on the defensive.  It’s about time. Don’t miss to hear how the extremists are “old school” and their fear-mongering is out of touch with modern-day approaches to natural resources.

And don’t miss next week’s show as we continue our focus on natural resources: Could there be some hope for Oregon?

Speak Life! 2018

We’re pleased to announce that Oregon Life United is bringing out Mike Huckabee on January 21st and 22nd to help with the signature gathering effort. He’ll be speaking at Portland, Salem, and Medford.  To get the details go to https://www.oregonlifeunited.org/speaklife/ and order your $20 tickets online.  Look for the discount code button and type in ISpyRadio (all one word) to get $5 off per ticket. That’s 25% off!

Podcast Version

Speak Life and Oregon Life United Links

  • More information and to order tickets for Mike Huckabee and Speak Life! 2018 can be found at Oregon Life United
    • Don’t forget to use the discount code ispyradio and save $5 per ticket!
  • An unintentionally pro-life article from The Huffington Post: “Are You a Miracle? On the Probability of Your Being Born” (Aug 16, 2011).
  • Breitbart News – “Study: India Performs 15.6 Million Abortions per Year” (Dec 30, 2017): “A new study finds that about 15.6 million abortions were performed in India in 2015”
  • The new pro-life generation High-school students are organizing and engaging in the fight for life, despite sharp opposition from some administrators and peers (Jan. 2018)
    • “Despite the hostility, Curran and other members of Students for Life Dripping Springs continue to gather once a month in the school cafeteria to hand out flyers describing scientific facts about unborn babies. The students are part of the latest front lines of the pro-life battle: Winning the hearts and minds of the next generation means finding even younger activists.”

Pebble Mine Segment Links

  • More information about the Pebble Mine can be found at pebblepartnership.com
  • Breaking the backs of the Enviro movement (something we’ll see more of under the Trump administration): “Exxon Prepares To Sue California Cities, Says They Contradict Themselves On Climate Change” (Jan. 8, 2018)
    • Cities in CA at sea-level on the one hand claim in their lawsuits against Exxon a high risk of flooding due to Climate Change, in some cases, a 99% chance of flooding due to sea levels rising. But now Exxon is suing them, saying that if that’s true then those cities defrauded investors who bought bonds those cities issued, which somehow failed to mention flooding risks.
  • Trump moves to give local communities more control over public lands near those communities — opening it up to mining, mineral exploration, farming, etc. (need link)
  • (Gov) Walker doubles down on opposing Pebble Mine (Alaska’s Energy Desk, Oct 8, 2017)
  • Trump’s EPA Is On Course To Retire Half Its Staff (Daily Caller, Jan 9, 2018)
  • The EPA’s Waters of the United States Rule pits the EPA against farmers, miners, and other industry (Politico, May 27, 2015)
  • With new life under Trump administration, fresh Pebble Mine details released (Alaska’s Energy Desk, Jan 5, 2018)
  • Pebble Partnership EPA Application (Application Dec 22, 2017)
  • First glance at Pebble’s new plans (KDLG Bristol Bay Public Radio, Oct 5,2017)
  • Pebble names First Quantum Minerals as new partner (KDLG, Dec 18, 2017)
  • The Senate tax bill would allow oil drilling in Alaskan wildlife refuge (CNN Money, Dec 4, 2017)
  • Developing Alaska’s wildlife refuge is a win-win-win (WA Post, Nov 30, 2017)
Take Action – Demand Better Forest Management

Take Action – Demand Better Forest Management

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Take Action Briefing

What: Demand better forest management to prevent forest fires
Who: Any one from any U.S. state. This affects all of us!
How: Contact your state and federal officials (quick link for contact info)
When: Now!
Why: Environmental policies based on fantasy and political agendas rather than actual science has led to decades of mismanagement in our National and State Forests. In 2017 alone over 1 million acres of prime forests have been destroyed. This is NOT normal and must stop now!

The Problem: Bad Policy is Causing Massive Forest Fires

oregon forest fires, Multnomah Falls Lodge
Oregon forest fires, over 300,000 acres burned so far. And nearly burned the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge.

Environmentalists have hijacked forest management, meaning they’re not managed at all. At the root of environmentalism, environmentalists believe mankind is not a part of nature. This leads to policies that urge forests and nature to be left alone and not managed at all. Fuel piles up, year after year, and it’s just a matter of time before a lightning strike lights the match.

This year, over 300,000 acres in Oregon have burned and the fires are growing. In Montana, 500,000 acres have burned. All across the West, in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, forest fires are raging and it can all be traced to bad environmental policy.

Did you know that prior to the environmental policies of Bill Clinton, Oregon did not have one significant forest fire? Why? Because the forests were actively managed.

Did you know that by law Oregon is required to harvest timber from State lands and O & C lands and use the proceeds to fund schools and roads?

Did you know that Oregon’s three-member land board (governor, secretary of state and state treasurer) recently attempted to sell the Elliott Forest for pennies on the dollar so they wouldn’t have to bother to manage the timber — as required by law?

Did you know nearly one-third of Oregon’s counties are close to bankruptcy because they’re not allowed to log?

Demand Better Forest Management

Things you can do:

  1. Get educated! If you haven’t listened to our show on Oregon’s forest fires, head to the show page for tons of links and listen to the show. You will have plenty of information and ammunition to hit your representatives with.
  2. Contact your state representatives (see contact info, below). Tell them you are tired of these so-called environmental policies that allow our forests to burn. Point out that obviously these policies are NOT working and they must be changed to allow timber harvests. Money from trees is better than smoke and ashes. Trees grow back. This must end and it must end now. Send them a link to the show page and ask them, as their constituent, to listen to the show personally or at least have their staff listen.
  3. Contact your federal Congressman and both of your U.S. Senators. As with your state reps, demand change. Point out that the current hands off policy clearly is NOT working. It is time to end this nonsense. Feel free to send them a link to the show page as well and ask them to listen to the show. Or send them a direct link to the free podcast. (Note: podcast not available until Monday after noon.)
  4. If you’re an Oregonian, contact the Governor, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer. These three make up the state land board. Again, demand change and point out that the current policy of let-it-burn is clearly not working.

Contact Information

  • State – Don’t who your state representatives are? Need their contact info? Problem solved! Get it here. Just type in your address and get your state representative’s and senator’s phone and email.
  • Federal – Go to this link, click on your state, and then type in your address to find your Congressman and your two U.S. Senators. This works for any state. (Or just jump here for Oregon’s search page.)
  • Oregonians only – Contact the state land board members: contact Governor, Kate Brown; contact Secretary of State, Dennis Richardson (note: expand the “Executive Office” section for full contact info but his email is oregon.sos@oregon.gov​​​​​​​​); and contact the Oregon State Treasurer, Tobias Read. You may also submit a comment to the Dept. of State Lands to let staff know want changes to state policy.

Further Tips & Suggestions

Remember: when contacting your state and federal representatives, be polite but firm. There’s no need to call them names but you can and should point out that the current situation is failing and must be changed. You should definitely listen to the show on Oregon’s forest fires—you will have plenty of things you can discuss. You can also send them link (http://ispyradio.com/oregon-forest-fires) to our show and demand they listen to it and then take genuine management steps to end this environmental nonsense that does nothing to protect the environment.

These policies are NOT NORMAL! And they must end now.

Oregon forest fires
Enough! Idiotic Enviro Policies Allowing 300,000 Acres To Burn is NOT Normal

Enough! Idiotic Enviro Policies Allowing 300,000 Acres To Burn is NOT Normal

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Show Summary: This week we take an in-depth look at how and why the Oregon forest fires have exploded this year. We also look at where they’re occurring and why in those particular areas. The answer may surprise you. Don’t miss the environment myths that inevitably lead to these devastating forest fires and the lies they spread about how the devastation is “good” for the environment.

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If Oregon’s do-nothing, let-it-burn policy of environmental destruction angers you, take it out on your representatives — state and federal. See this take action page for suggestions on what to do and how to contact them.

Original Air Dates: Sept 9 & 10, 2017 | Dr. Bob Zybach

There are currently over 300,000 acres of Oregon forest fires—and the vast majority didn’t need to happen. This week, Dr. Zybach explodes the environmental myths that have led to these devastating fires.

To find out the how and why the Oregon forest fires are out of control, we talk to Dr. Bob Zybach who not only did his dissertation on wildfires but has over 25 years of practical forest management as a reforester.  He predicted out -of-control forest fires as far back as 30 years ago and discusses with us how the environmental policies and practices have no basis at all in science or even common sense. As proof, none of the Oregon forest fires currently burning are on land he replanted. Good, sound management works.

Listen in to find out the facts—where these fires are burning and why there. You’ll be surprised at the amazing answer to where they are not burning.

Tune in to hear the economic devastation of the Oregon forest fires, including the jaw-dropping loss of income and jobs from not being able to help rebuild Houston or Florida, the insane messaging from the far-left as they try to find a way to justify these fires (see Willamette Week’s stupidity of how the Columbia River Gorge Wildfire could Help Wildlife “Flourish”), and now the pressure we must put on our state and federal government TO STOP THIS NONSENSE.

Take Action. Prevent more Oregon Forest Fires!

It’s time to change policies. Now.  This show will give you plenty of ammunition to contact your representatives at the state and local levels to demand change.

Angry? Ready to do something? Then take out your anger on your state and federal representatives.

Related Links

Russian hacking, Obama's land grab. This week on I Spy Radio
Obama’s Last Minute Damage | The Russians are Coming

Obama’s Last Minute Damage | The Russians are Coming

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Show 7-01 Summary: Russian hacking or Obama trying to do as much damage as he can on the way out the door? Obama grabbed another 1.8 million acres in Utah and Nevada — can this be undone or is it another victory for the U.N. enviro-nazis? Plus, the Russians are coming! Did the Russians actually do any hacking or didn’t they?

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Air Dates: Jan 7 & 8, 2017 | Rep. Ken Ivory (R-UT) & Kevin Freeman

Welcome to our 2017 kickoff show as we watch President Obama packing up and getting ready to leave White House while President Trump prepares to take control.

As if to cause whatever trouble he can on the way out, in true community-organizer fashion, two big things have happened during the remaining days of Obama’s presidency.  First was his most recent land grab of over 1.3 million acres in Utah, adding to the half a billion acres he’s already taken out of state control.  And second is the last gasps of politicization of intelligence agencies as they muddle through whether Russia hacked files that may or may not have impacted on the elections.

Obama’s Land Grab

We start with Rep. Ken Ivory (R-UT) who discusses what it means to have Obama seize yet more land for the federal government, the difference of national forest status to national monument, and all the rights removed from people being able to access the land for any use.  In Oregon we know firsthand the painful reality of having so much land removed from tax rolls with some counties having no resources to pay for school funding. Over the next two weeks remaining to Obama’s powers of pen and phone, will Malheur Forest and Siskiyou Crest National forest be added to the list of national monument designations?

Russians Hacking or Not?

Putin releases the identity of the Russian hacking spies who influenced the electionWe’ll also be talking about the alleged Russian “hacking” and whether it did, in fact, influence the elections. Agencies are alleging that they have proof the Russians did hand off hacked material to WikiLeaks. We talk to Kevin Freeman about the truth of all this, as well as the politicization of our intelligence agencies and how it’s gone wild under President Obama.  This is the president whose intelligence agencies told the American public that ISIS wasn’t to be  worried about and in the weeks before the “Arab Spring” that the Muslim Brotherhood was essentially a civic organization and nothing to worry about.

We’ve watched as Obama used our spy agencies to push political agendas rather than giving us, the people, the straight scoop—or do what they were designed to do: defend the U.S. from outside attacks. Are their solutions to “de-politicizing” our intel agencies? Don’t miss the steps we need to take.

Links & Further Information

Ken Ivory (Segments 1–3)

Kevin Freeman

 

Oregon militia in Burns, Oregon - does it help or hurt the movement to transfer federal public lands to the states?
Is the Oregon Militia Standoff in Burns Oregon Helpful?

Is the Oregon Militia Standoff in Burns Oregon Helpful?

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The “Oregon militia” standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, outside of Burns (Harney County) continues and we turn to Stewart Rhodes of Oath  Keepers and Rep. Ken Ivory to analyze the deeper, broader issues at stake.

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Air Dates: Jan. 16 & 17, 2015 | Stewart Rhodes & Rep. Ken Ivory (UT) | When, Where, and How to Listen

However, let’s be clear: the so-called Oregon militia is not a militia in the true sense of the word. In fact, “Oregon militia” members aren’t even from Oregon. Instead, they’re outsiders from Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and (God help us) California.

This is especially odd. The so-called “Oregon militia” are themselves outsiders. Unwelcome outsiders. Outsiders who are there to protest lack of local control. Do the so-called Oregon militia members not see the irony here?

Is this about the issue of public lands or about the militia members themselves?

The So-Called “Oregon Militia” in Burns

When they first showed up, the “Oregon militia” claimed they were there to support the Hammonds, a couple of local ranchers who had been convicted of arson. To prove their point, they seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Except the Hammonds wanted nothing to do with the so-called militia. So next, the Wildlife Refuge Occupiers claimed they were there to protest the federal government and their refusal to turn state lands over to the states. This group of Occupiers from Montana, Arizona, Nevada, and California, now say they won’t leave until the lands are given over to local control.

We talk with Stewart Rhodes, president and founder of Oath Keepers, about the standoff, what he knows about the leaders of the “militia” and his thoughts on the FBI’s handling of this. Could there be agent provocateurs among the militia? Are the militia heroes or interfering?

And then we talk with Rep. Ken Ivory about the larger issue of the transfer of federal lands to the states.  We talk with Ken about whether the “protesters” are helpful or hurtful and what impact they might have on the larger issues. Instead of an armed conflict, what else could they have done? Plus. what are some of the latest developments in the transfer-public-lands movement, including legal and economic findings that support the effort.

The Oregon Militia: Unanswered Questions

One question that will be very interesting to watch as this continues to unfold will be this: are all the members of the “militia” who they claim to be? There have already been incidents of undercover FBI agents in the area (see links below). Why? Could this whole situation an effort to undermine the transfer public lands effort?

To reassure the people of Oregon—the real ones—Harney officials County law enforcement should verify identifications as each “militia” member leaves the compound.

Links

The EPA colluding with environmentalists and tribes
EPA Colluding with Environmentalists and Tribes

EPA Colluding with Environmentalists and Tribes

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Air Dates: Oct 24 & 25, 2015 | Lawrence Kogan & Tom Collier (CEO of Pebble Partnership)

The EPA long ago lost its watchdog status and has turned rabid environmentalist. Now, clear evidence of the EPA colluding with environmentalists and tribes is beginning to emerge—ironically, in what the EPA had hoped to turn into one of its trophy cases: the Pebble Mine.

Show 5-43 will air the weekend of Oct 24th & 25th. Join us as we expose collusion between the EPA and “environmental” organizations, the tribes, and other players.

What’s important to understand in this fight against a government agency run-amok, is that they violated the rule of law and a basic tenet of American freedoms: due process. The EPA, by applying an obscure rule that it had never used before in its four-decades’ old existence and by trying to circumvent the permit process, it was denying Pebble Partnership its due process. Just as though it had arrested someone in suspected of a crime and put them in jail without any Miranda rights, no legal counsel, and so on.

Links Mentioned

  • Lawrence Kogan’s firm: the Kogan Law Group – tons of great info and articles on the assault by the Enviro-Left on our free market system
  • Tom Collier’s group – the Pebble Partnership.

 

 

This Week on I Spy Radio - Public Lands Transfer to States can mean jobs—real jobs
Devolution – Public Lands Transfer to States

Devolution – Public Lands Transfer to States

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Air Dates: September 12 & 13, 2015 | Jonathan Williams & Karla Jones

Devolution is defined as “the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration.” When it comes to the transfer of public lands here in the U.S., this means the federal government giving control of federally held public lands to the states in which those lands reside. Why is this important? Jobs.

With more than 98 million Americans continuing to be out of the workforce, the jobs resulting from a public lands transfer to states means more than ever that the federal government honor their promise to relinquish control of the public lands held in trust. At one time, Illinois and Missouri both had more than 50% of their land controlled by the federal government when they entered statehood. Now, the federal government holds only 1% and 4%, respectively. So why do they maintain control of so much public lands states west of the Rockies—on average, more than 50% of these states? Why should Illinois get to have 99% of their land and Oregon gets less than 47% of its land?

94 million Americans out of work - the U.S. economy as of September 2015 has clearly fallen off a cliff. Time for a public lands transfer to states.
US Economy off a cliff. Time for a public lands transfer to states.

We’ve talked in the past with Ken Ivory and it’s seemed a little theoretical at times: what would it be like if the states got their lands back? Now we some direct evidence of what it would look like from our neighbor to the north: Canada.

We’ll start by talking with Jonathan Williams of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) about the continuing record numbers of Americans not working and the state policies that consistently work to put people to work; policies that ALEC advocates. We’ll then talk about a federal policy that needs to happen: a public lands transfer to states. Karla Jones, also with ALEC, walks us through the process. We’ll examine the roadblocks and hurdles to making this happen, astonishing examples of federal mismanagement to private land management, and then look at how this has unfolded in Canada.

Sorry, environmentalists; it wasn’t the end of the world.

Links Mentioned

  • If you’re not visiting American Legislative Exchange Council on a regular basis, you’re missing out on a huge amount of incredible information — policies that your state ought to be implementing if they want to be successful. Don’t you want your state to be successful? Of course you do! Then visit alec.org.
  • Read ALEC’s State Lands report, which we discuss with Karla Jones. (You can download a copy for easier reading; see the Download PDF link on the right-side of the page.)
  • Heritage Foundation article, “1,000 people per day: Why Red States are Getting Richer and Blue States Poorer“
This week on I Spy Radio - Forest fires and mismangement of state lands
Oregon Forest Fires – State Lands Going Up in Smoke

Oregon Forest Fires – State Lands Going Up in Smoke

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Air Dates: August 29 & 30, 2015 | Suzan Ellis Jones, John Charles, Rep. Ken Ivory

With more than its share of forest fires, Oregon’s state lands scream mismanagement. Oregon’s rather infamous environmental policies only seem to kill trees, owls, and profits—and the only thing they seem to protect are politicians. But these last few weeks, the smoke from the fires are hard to ignore. It’s time to look at Oregon’s mismanagement of its lands.

We start the show by interviewing Suzan Ellis-Jones. Unlike the “environmentalists,” Suzan actually makes her home in rural Oregon — Baker County to be exact. Baker is one of several Oregon counties that have ravaged by brutal, devastating, heartbreaking forest fires — fires that could have been prevented. By the way. Have you ever noticed that environmental lobbyists just can’t be pulled away from their favorite coffee shops in downtown Portland to go fight fires? Why is that?

Perhaps it’s because they’re too busy spewing nonsense into papers like the Eugene Register-Guard about how the timber industry runs this state. What?

Elliot State Forest Map
Map: Oregon’s Elliot State Forest

To sort out that nonsense, we need a real expert, so this week we also talk with John Charles of the Cascade Policy Institute, about the recently announced intention by the State Lands’ Board to sell off the Elliot Forest. The Elliot State Forest is perhaps the epitome of mismanagement. Well, except it hasn’t caught fire—yet. We’ll also get a handle on that “board” (it’s really just three people) and how they are utterly failing in their fiduciary duty to the state. Yes, that’s right. The state is ordered to make money from those state lands — but when has a pesky law ever mattered to a career politician? That’s for the rest of us.

Speaking of which, we wrap things up with Rep. Ken Ivory (UT) about the complete inadequacy and unwillingness by the agencies to follow laws let alone their own rules. Rep. Ivory is also President of the American Lands Council and he fills us in on the environmental devastation being caused by out-of-control agencies and career bureaucrats, to whom laws do not apply.

And don’t miss the shocking developments in Montana and what the federal government ordered Montana to do. Here’s a hint: they were handing out fiddles.

Sometimes, it doesn’t even seem like we’re in America any more. Is it 2016 yet…?

Links Mentioned

Related Links

  • Ranchers being sued for their “mismanagement.” Not just sued. Jailed. And not just jailed, but feds adding even more jail time. Their crime? Helping fight fires.
This week - Ken Ivory faces fraud charges in battle for pubic lands. And jobs for America's heroes
Show 5-24 Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

Show 5-24 Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

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Show 5-24 | Air Dates: June 13 & 14, 2015

The battle for control over federal public lands intensifies as Rep. Ken Ivory is attacked by a Far Left group and accused of fraud. Why is the battle so important?  Jobs. If you don’t live inside of a major city, you know that those in rural areas create wealth and jobs by getting their hands dirty. Blue collar, good paying, and living-wage jobs through honest, hard work.

Logging, mining, farming, ranching, all create additional jobs beyond loggers, miners, farmers, and ranchers. For instance, the logging industry would be meaningless if not for millwrights, saw operators, electricians, welders, engineers, and many others. We’ve previously had on guests from Center for America, which has pointed out there is a coming shortage of exactly these kinds of jobs — skilled workers.

American Jobs for America’s Heroes

American Jobs for American HeroesOur first guest, Brigadier General, Marianne Watson, of Center for America is spearheading their campaign “American Jobs for America’s Heroes.” Drawing on her background as Director of Manpower and Personnel at the National Guard, she is leading the effort to connect small business owners with National Guardsmen and veterans. This is a tremendous opportunity for small-business owners to hire America’s skilled service men and women. If you need a job filled, they have a job-posting site that will not only list your job but they will also act as your HR Department to match the right service personnel for it.

Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

Via Ken Ivory - map showing extent of federal public lands
Lands held by the federal government. Note the difference between east and west of the Rockies

Here on I Spy Radio, we don’t like it when our friends come under attack. We especially don’t like it when the attackers are well-funded, hypocritical leftist organizations. Such is the case with Campaign for Accountability, which filed allegations against Ken Ivory and his nonprofit organization, American Lands Council. Campaign for Accountability alleges fraud on three fronts: that Ken Ivory knows the effort to turn ownership of federal lands to the states is a “fool’s errand;” that, knowing this, he defrauded counties who paid for membership in his organization; and that American Lands Council exists primarily to enrich Ken and his wife.

What’s interesting is that most of those “reporters” in the press who covered this, didn’t bother asking, “Just who is this group accusing Ken Ivory? Are their accusations even valid?” So we did.

On their “about us” page, Campaign for Accountability says, “Millions of Americans’ lives are negatively impacted by decisions made behind the doors of corporate boardrooms, government offices, and shadowy nonprofit groups.”

You’d think an organization that calls itself “Campaign for Accountability” might want to, you know, be accountable and transparent. Especially when they accuse Rep. Ken Ivory of using his nonprofit to “primarily” enrich himself and his wife. So how much does the Executive Director for Campaign for Accountability get paid? Or the rest of their staff? What percent of their revenue goes to salaries — “enriching themselves” to use their terminology.

We asked. They refused to answer.

We also asked who their major donors were, so they wouldn’t be perceived as a “shadowy nonprofit group.” Again, they refused to answer. So much for accountability. And they accuse Ken Ivory of fraud?

Ken Ivory’s Responses

Tune in to hear Ken not only defend himself against the accusations of fraud but respond to what we found out about Campaign for Accountability. He is joined by Montana State Senator, Jennifer Fielder, who was part of the commission Montana assembled to examine the management of public lands.

Links Mentioned

  • Center for America’s website
  • Are you a small-business owner? Need staffing but don’t have an HR Department but want to find skilled workers? Find out more about American Jobs for America’s Heroes
  • Ken’s organization, American Land’s Council. You can see what’s happening in your state in the effort to take control of federal public lands.
  • Campaign for Accountability’s website. You can download a copy of their accusations of fraud here.
  • An investigation into Campaign for Accountability suggests a tie to George Soros (I Spy has not been able to confirm ties between CFA and Soros)
  • Campaign for Accountability appears to be a spinoff of a Far-Left “nonprofit” funded by George Soros. While CFA is only a few months old and hasn’t filed tax forms yet (for nonprofits, these are known as “990s”). However, CREW has. Check out CREW’s tax filings for 2011, 2012, and 2013.
  • Feel free to compare these to Ken Ivory’s American Lands Council’s 990s for 2012 and 2013.