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GOP Platform Proposes To Get Rid Of National Parks And National Forests

By Jenny Rowland / Think Progress 7/15

The Republican platform committee met this week to draft the document
that defines the party’s official principles and policies. Along with
provisions on pornography and LGBT “conversion therapy” is an amendment calling for the indiscriminate and immediate disposal of national public lands.

The inclusion of this provision in the Republican Party’s platform
reflects the growing influence of and ideological alliance between
several anti-park members
of the GOP and anti-government extremists, led by Cliven Bundy, who
dispute the federal government’s authority over national public lands.

“Congress shall immediately pass universal legislation providing a
timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey
certain federally controlled public lands to the states,” reads the
adopted language. “We call upon all national and state leaders and
representatives to exert their utmost power and influence to urge the
transfer of those lands identified.”

The provision calls for an immediate full-scale disposal of “certain”
public lands, without defining which lands it would apply to, leaving
national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, and national forests
apparently up for grabs and vulnerable to development, privatization,
or transfer to state ownership.

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Down with the Republican party.