619: 'Conservation sometimes becomes the dog that everybody can get behind kicking'

One proposal in the recently passed "big, beautiful bill" that didn't make it to the finish line was an amendment from Utah Sen. Mike Lee, which would have jump-started a sell-off of federally owned lands.

On this episode of Plain Talk, John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, talked about that victory, and also discussed the place in politics conservation issues often find themselves. 

"Conservation sometimes becomes the dog that everybody can get behind kicking," he said.

Bradley expressed a desire for public lands to become a "third rail" issue that politicians are "terrified to go after," but also acknowledged that there are instances where some sales make sense.

He says there is, in existing law, a process for selling or swapping out federal lands, and while he admits that it can be bureaucratic, he also says that it's important that all interested parties are involved in that process.

Bradley also discussed his group's recent criticism of North Dakota's congressional delegation's support for using the Congressional Review Act to rewrite federal land use rules that the delegation says are too arduous for the energy industry and other interests. He called the approach "scorched earth," arguing it "wipes that entire process" and assumes D.C. politicians "know better" than local experts.

Also on this episode, we discussed the hard feelings between Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office and the North Dakota Ethics Commission, as well as news that millions in federal dollars for after school programs in North Dakota have been frozen.

There are "crickets from the congressional delegation in terms of unfreezing this money," my co-host Chad Oban said of the situation. "Crickets from the governor's office to unfreeze this money. Crickets from the superintendent of public instruction."

"I understand that [Superintendent Kirsten Baesler] is trying to get a job in Washington, but if our superintendent of public instruction is not screaming and yelling to unfreeze these dollars, I'm not sure she can be doing her job," he added.

"Our congressional delegation should be pounding on the door of OMB and the Department of Education getting this money to our kids in North Dakota, but everybody's afraid of Trump," he continued.

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