Utah gives Ryan Benson $2 million

[Ben Lamb]

http://mtstandard.com/news/state-an...cle_4abd7cd2-eb73-5285-9df1-3a8a1c351102.html

Utah just awarded Ryan Benson of Big Game Forever infamy $2 million to organize sportsmen and oil and gas interests in Montana.

Seriously? The Utah Legislature is now trying to buy influence in Montana? With Ryan Benson?

Benson, as we all hopefully remember, was the genius behind trying to derail wolf delisting under the Simpson/Tester delisting rider.

Benson took $300,000 from the state of Utah and then filed intentionally false reports about his activities.

Benson has long been in bed with Don Peay, who thinks that public land and public hunting is "socialism," and should "be revisited."

I am actually shocked at how low Utah's Legislature has gone. Before, it was piddling money. $300,000 of taxpayer dollars to a charlatan is small potatoes. Now, they are seeking to undermine Montana's efforts to craft a reasonable sage grouse conservation plan and take people down a road that ends with a dead bill in the Senate.

 

[WapitiBob]

And I thought the $6,000 I made in a cpl weeks from a chain letter was easy money.

 

[Ben Lamb]

And I thought the $6,000 I made in a cpl weeks from a chain letter was easy money.

Certainly more ethical.

 

[stillkickin]

I cannot believe this could happen, except for the fact that it did. A sad day for conservation.......

 

[kansasdad]

Three words.....a may zing.

 

[Wally Dog]

Unbelievable, comes together more smoothly great if you wear the same uniform!
WD

 

[LopeHunter]

Utah. Keeping it classy. Keeping it in the "family" and, really, what is a million or ten when it comes to the fine folks that wheel and deal public tags and grease the skids for land tract swaps. Let's join hands brothers and sisters to celebrate smoke-filled back rooms and campaign contributions in a passed around hat. Rest assured the hand basket is on its way to the state capitol. This is the train wreck that keeps on happening.

 

[Stillhunterman]

Utah. Keeping it classy. Keeping it in the "family" and, really, what is a million or ten when it comes to the fine folks that wheel and deal public tags and grease the skids for land tract swaps. Let's join hands brothers and sisters to celebrate smoke-filled back rooms and campaign contributions in a passed around hat. Rest assured the hand basket is on its way to the state capitol. This is the train wreck that keeps on happening.

That about sums it up LopeHunter. When it comes to wildlife, the Utah Legislature and the Department of Wildlife Resourses are ran at the whim of a little more than a handfull of wheelers and dealers, and Peay and Benson are right there at the top. For the life of me I don't understand how the Utah hunters and voters, for that matter, let this 'wheel greasing' continue, year after year after year. It sickens me.

 

[BigRack]

http://mtstandard.com/news/state-an...cle_4abd7cd2-eb73-5285-9df1-3a8a1c351102.html

Utah just awarded Ryan Benson of Big Game Forever infamy $2 million to organize sportsmen and oil and gas interests in Montana.

Seriously? The Utah Legislature is now trying to buy influence in Montana? With Ryan Benson?

Benson, as we all hopefully remember, was the genius behind trying to derail wolf delisting under the Simpson/Tester delisting rider.

Benson took $300,000 from the state of Utah and then filed intentionally false reports about his activities.

Benson has long been in bed with Don Peay, who thinks that public land and public hunting is "socialism," and should "be revisited."

I am actually shocked at how low Utah's Legislature has gone. Before, it was piddling money. $300,000 of taxpayer dollars to a charlatan is small potatoes. Now, they are seeking to undermine Montana's efforts to craft a reasonable sage grouse conservation plan and take people down a road that ends with a dead bill in the Senate.

Ben,

I assume you will provide proof that oil and gas exploration has been the reason for the declining sage grouse.

 

[OriginalOscar]

http://mtstandard.com/news/state-an...cle_4abd7cd2-eb73-5285-9df1-3a8a1c351102.html

Utah just awarded Ryan Benson of Big Game Forever infamy $2 million to organize sportsmen and oil and gas interests in Montana.

Seriously? The Utah Legislature is now trying to buy influence in Montana? With Ryan Benson?

Benson, as we all hopefully remember, was the genius behind trying to derail wolf delisting under the Simpson/Tester delisting rider.

Benson took $300,000 from the state of Utah and then filed intentionally false reports about his activities.

Benson has long been in bed with Don Peay, who thinks that public land and public hunting is "socialism," and should "be revisited."

I am actually shocked at how low Utah's Legislature has gone. Before, it was piddling money. $300,000 of taxpayer dollars to a charlatan is small potatoes. Now, they are seeking to undermine Montana's efforts to craft a reasonable sage grouse conservation plan and take people down a road that ends with a dead bill in the Senate.

Did you even read the article? The $2M is to lobby against designation of Sage Grouse as endangered. The fear is listing would require restrictions on energy, grazing and other western land use. Utah is not targeting MT for takeover. ID first, WY second. MT is safe until at least 2018.

p.s For the record it's a stupid expenditure of tax dollars. Sorry but that's what you get when crazy states rights Republicans control the Executive and Legislative branches of state government.

 

[BigRack]

p.s For the record it's a stupid expenditure of tax dollars. Sorry but that's what you get when crazy states rights Republicans control the Executive and Legislative branches of state government.

If you aren't for States rights you are against the Constitution. Is that what you are for Dukes?

 

[BigRack]

BTW Dukes,

Do you agree with California wanting to register ammunition?

That is in your philosophy as a liberal.

 

[BigRack]

Utah. Keeping it classy. Keeping it in the "family" and, really, what is a million or ten when it comes to the fine folks that wheel and deal public tags and grease the skids for land tract swaps. Let's join hands brothers and sisters to celebrate smoke-filled back rooms and campaign contributions in a passed around hat. Rest assured the hand basket is on its way to the state capitol. This is the train wreck that keeps on happening.

I didn't know there were tags for sage grouse.

 

[spook12]

Guess who's back.

Back again.

BigRacks Back.

Tell a friend.

Guess who's back.......Guess who's back................Guess who's back..

 

[1_pointer]

I didn't know there were tags for sage grouse.

While they aren't tags specifically, to hunt sage grouse in Utah is via permit only and those permits are allocated through a draw. Just like big game...

Here's a couple of Utah sage grouse...

 

[BigRack]

Guess who's back.

Back again.

BigRacks Back.

Tell a friend.

Guess who's back.......Guess who's back................Guess who's back..

I have never left so how can I be back?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben,

I assume you will provide proof that oil and gas exploration has been the reason for the declining sage grouse.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Sage+grouse+oil+and+gas#

 

[Ben Lamb]

Did you even read the article? The $2M is to lobby against designation of Sage Grouse as endangered. The fear is listing would require restrictions on energy, grazing and other western land use. Utah is not targeting MT for takeover. ID first, WY second. MT is safe until at least 2018.

p.s For the record it's a stupid expenditure of tax dollars. Sorry but that's what you get when crazy states rights Republicans control the Executive and Legislative branches of state government.

He's headed to MT to lobby in support of a bill that would delay a listing decision 10 years. We're 15 years out from the first go round on this issue. The bill will pass the house and will die in the senate. There will be no way Senate Dems let 60 votes for this to happen. Benson & Utah's legislative fix is gross overreach and doesn't stand a chance of passage.

If people were honestly worried about the listing, then these plans would. Have been instituted 10 years a go versus just a couple (in WY's case). Kicking that. Can down the road once again will result in the same thing: no action to save sage grouse.

 

[Eric Albus]

Oil/gas/cattle....all scapegoats for the decline of the sage grouse....typical left wing spin....funny how in the 60's and 70's there were way more AUM's(on BLM) and the range was in poorer shape(generally speaking) than it is today, and we here in NE Mt. had abundant sage grouse numbers.
What has changed then? Many factors, from predators to west nile.

Ben, for every left wing spin you can find to blame oil/gas...I can find a right wing funded spin sayin' it ain't so....for fricks sake, I even read an article blaming "barb wire" for the decline in sage grouse numbers..... I personally would rather go with what I see daily....our sage grouse numbers here have declined...and we have ZERO oil/gas exploration going on.

The solution IMO for Reg. 6 to hunt sage grouse, unlimited permits(have to apply for one) Limit of 1 sage grouse annually. Keeps season open and reduces hunter realted impact on resource. Personally I have seen very, very little hunting of sage grouse here in Reg. 6 over the last 10 yrs. Now w/ threat of placing on endangerd list I have had a few calls about hunting sagies...I tell them yes, we can do that, but will not allow anyone to take more than 1 rooster.

 

[BigRack]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Sage+grouse+oil+and+gas#

South Dakota didn't have a Sage Grouse season last year and it's not because of oil and gas.