Overview

 

Federal intrusion on state and local jurisdiction“would not excite the opposition of a single stateor of a few states only.They would be signals ofgeneral alarm. Everygovernment wouldespouse the commoncause. A correspondencewould be opened. Plans ofresistance would beconcerted. One spiritwould animate andconduct the whole.”James Madison, Federalist46.Washington is progressively commandeering local control over matters of land access, land use, and land ownership. States, counties, municipalities, businesses and individuals struggle to defend against the metastasizing maze of federal policies, regulations and edicts.

 

DC mandates are choking education funding; constricting the tax base of

states, counties and cities; and depressing business and economic

activity.

 

So-called “preservationist” policies of the federal government have failed the test of time. Forests, animal species, wetlands, etc. are not materially better off (in many cases they are significantly worse) for heavy-handed federal controls. And yet, cities, counties, states, businesses, and individuals are suffering the serious effects of federally constrained access and use of public and private lands.

 

Kentucky would not have been crowned NCAA basketball champions

had they just stayed on their side of the court and only played defense. Without a strategy to play offense in securing and defending local control of land access, land use, and land ownership, we will likely continue to lose ground, literally and figuratively.

 

The American Lands Council (ALC), while not neglecting a good defense, coordinates a concerted offensive game plan through education, political persuasion, legislation, and litigation to restore local control (jurisdiction) over matters of land access, land use, and land ownership.

 

Those whose lives and livelihoods depend upon the wise use and

preservation of their lands for their economic self-reliance are naturally

more responsive and responsible stewards for their people than a distant, domineering, desperately indebted federal government.

 

Mission

 

The American Lands Council coordinates the concerted efforts of state, county, and local governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals to secure and defend local control of land access, land use, and land ownership through (i) Education, (ii) Political Persuasion, (iii) Legislation (local, state and national), and (iv) Litigation.

Strategic Objectives

 

The Problem – Increasingly, federal mandates, regulations, and legislation are directly interfering with the duty and moral obligation (jurisdiction) of local, county and state governments to secure and protect the health, safety, and welfare (HSW) of their citizens. Examples are seemingly innumerable including:

 

* US Forest Service and BLM unilaterally shutting down roads   through so-called Travel Management Plans;

 

* US Forest Service and BLM push to “acquire” water rights;

 

* US Fish and Wildlife Service devastating whole industries and

obstructing beneficial use of public and private lands;

 

* Army Corps of Engineers denying and/or rendering cost prohibitive

public and private land use;

 

* Forest Service mismanagement endangering communities, homes,

watershed, wildlife, habitat, air quality, and economies;

 

* Labor, environmental and other regulations stifling the ability of

farmers to farm, builders to build, miners to mine, and businesses to

flourish; and

 

* Colonial control over more than 50% of lands, and trillions of dollars in abundant resources, of western states.

 

You likely have experience with other federal intrusions. Sharing your

experiences, as ALC begins to catalogue them, will benefit ALC members throughout the nation. Click here to share the basics of your experience(s).

Offensive Game Plan

 

Prominent American Founder, John Dickinson,

warned “it will be their own FAULTS, if the several states suffer the federal sovereignty to interfere in the things of their respective jurisdictions.”

(Emphasis in original.)

 

ALC serves to coordinate research, analysis, and education regarding the right and jurisdiction of local, county, and state governments and officers to secure and defend the health, safety and welfare of their citizens from federal intrusions, and to coordinate concerted action, legislation, and litigation in support of local control over lands access, land use, and land ownership.

 

ALC accomplishes this offensive game plan through:

• Research, Analysis and Education;

   o Coordinate and database ALC, member, and affiliate research and analysis

   o Website

           Member only sections to coordinate research, analysis, and action

   o Social media

   o Multimedia database of federal intrusions to HSW and local jurisdiction

   o Outreach

• Member Task Forces and Committees;

   o Jurisdiction Task Force

           Right and duty of local and state governments to secure and protect HSW

           Jurisdictional line historically and legally

           Role of County Sheriff

   o Land

Access Task Force

           Travel Management

           Road closure

           Wilderness designation

   o Land Use Task Force

           Endangered Species Act

           Equal Access to Justice

           Clean Water Act

           EPA

           Dept. of Labor and other farming and ranching regulations

   o Land Ownership

           Transfer and local control of public lands

• Initiatives and Projects

   o Liberating Our Lands

           Research & education about the history & rights to compel the transfer of public lands

• 1828-1854 – It’s Been Done Before!

• Western States Tour

   o Utah’s HB148 Transfer of Public Lands model legislation

   o Coordinate effort of western states and communities

• Coordinate with Congress

   o Travel

Management

            Education about history, rights, jurisdiction, HSW, & economics of TMP restraints

            Analysis, formulation, and coordination of concerted action

            Analysis, formulation and coordination of local, state and national legislation

   o Others