Apr 30

Written by:
4/30/2012 10:35 PM 

 ELKO — U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop said after a congressional field hearing Monday in Elko that “more questions came out than answers.” He said that was especially true on the question of how the U.S. Forest Service came up with the authority to close roads as part of its Travel Management Plans.

Bishop, R-Utah, and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., listened to the testimony of six witnesses, mainly on travel plans.

They also heard testimony on the issue of the Forest Service seeking a share of water rights for improvements to grazing allotments, and testimony touching on the sage grouse issue.

Bishop, the chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, said after the two-hour hearing that Republicans may not be able to get legislation through the Senate regarding Forest Service action, so “all we can do is try to stop things.”

He said “the road rule is coming from back East, and also the water grab.”