Outdoorsmen and Women Stand Up for Public Land – Bill HR 621 Dies
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.02.17
R.I.P. Bill HR 621 – January 24 2017 – February 2 2017
On January 24, a bill was introduced to the House Committee of Natural Resources that set a blazing fire underneath many outdoorsmen and women in the country. The bill aimed to dispose of 3 million acres of public land, selling it to the first big oil and natural gas company to open their wallet wide enough. On February 2, the bill will be put to rest by its sponsor himself, Jason Chaffetz, a US Congressman from Utah.
Chaffetz’s decision came after thousands of comments blew up his notifications on Facebook and Instagram. Users were flooding his inbox with hashtags like #keepitpublic and #publiclandowner urging him to reconsider his position on the bill.
Well, the voices of thousands of hunters, anglers and other sportsmen were far too overwhelming to be ignored. Some late-night newsfeed scrolling would reveal Jason’s latest Instagram post, which stated:
“I am withdrawing HR 621. I’m a proud gun owner, hunter and love our public lands. The bill would have disposed of small parcels of lands Pres. Clinton identified as serving no public purpose but groups I support and care about fear it sends the wrong message. The bill was originally introduced several years ago. I look forward to working with you. I hear you and HR 621 dies tomorrow. #keepitpublic #tbt”
Here is the post:
