Summary: Friday, June 20, 2014 A group called “American Stewards of Liberty” is devoted to the protection of individual property rights. If you would like to find out more about this group, check today’s transcript for relevant links. Most recently, the American Stewards of Liberty have advanced the idea that federal agencies are required to “coordinate” with local governments in developing and implementing federal plans, policies and management actions. Mostly, the Stewards believe that the federal government isn’t properly “coordinating,” and that this means that many federal regulations are illegitimate. In many ways, the “coordination” concept seems to be a kind of modern-day “nullification,” with claims about the illegitimacy of federal regulations echoing the kind of claims made by Southern states in the years prior to the Civil War. Claims that federal land use related regulations are overreaching have become rather common in recent years. Cliven Bundy, the Nevada cattle rancher who has defied federal orders with respect to his use of federal lands, and who has refused to pay grazing fees and to follow other requirements, is one example. The “Constitutional Sheriff” movement also claims that various federal environmental regulations are illegitimate. I encourage KUSP listeners to consult the links I have placed in today’s transcript, and to read the discussion about “coordination” found on the Stewards’ website. You can find that transcript at kusp.org/landuse. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog American Stewards of Liberty Website Stewards of Liberty – Local Government Coordination Information on the Cliven Bundy controversy Links to more on the “Constitutional Sheriff” concept
