[Utah county follows Cliven Bundy's lead, refuses to recognize federal jurisdiction]
[Commissioner Casey Hopes (Rep)]
by
Months after national attention was focused on a standoff between supporters of a Nevada rancher and armed Bureau of Land Management agents, a group of Utah residents are mounting a similar campaign to rein in the bloated influence of federal bureaucrats.
As Western Journalism reported, rancher Cliven Bundy was accused of neglecting to pay federal grazing fees, which led to a tense encounter with BLM officers.
Carbon County commissioners recently passed a strongly-worded resolution prohibiting the BLM and other federal agents from enforcing laws regarding issues over which local authorities should have control.
Using capital letters to emphasize the point, commissioners declared that the influence of such land management officials “IS NOT RECOGNIZED” and will be considered “AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS OF CARBON COUNTY.”
The move came on the heels of an effort by officials in another Utah county who urged the BLM to reconsider a longstanding ban on motorized vehicles on local land.
Even more counties are reportedly upset and confused by the growing intrusion of federal laws on individuals who rely on their land to make a living. One state legislator spoke for seven counties when he expressed the frustration of many Utah residents.
Rep. Mike Noel asserted that many in the state are having “very, very difficult time understanding some of the decisions that come down.”
Rep. Ken Ivory joined in the criticism by lambasting the heavily armed agents who converged on the Bundy Ranch “to collect a fee or fine,” explaining he had “not seen that before.”
The BLM has drawn the ire of Utah’s governor, too. Spencer Cox decried the fact that the agency declared contracts it held with sheriff’s offices in the state “illegal,” making Utah the only state in which it cancelled such agreements.
While Carbon County leaders might have taken the most decisive step in pushing back against federal intrusion, it is clear the outrage stoked during the Bundy Ranch standoff continues to spread throughout states like Utah and across the nation.
This post originally appeared on Western Journalism – Informing And Equipping Americans Who Love Freedom
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