{"id":2267919,"date":"2024-06-14T13:44:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T17:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-hawley-confronts-public-lands-chief-for-lying-about-involvement-in-ecoterrorism\/"},"modified":"2024-06-14T13:48:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T17:48:22","slug":"josh-hawley-confronts-public-lands-chief-for-lying-about-involvement-in-ecoterrorism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-hawley-confronts-public-lands-chief-for-lying-about-involvement-in-ecoterrorism\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Hawley Challenges Public Lands Head Over False Ecoterrorism Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjosh-hawley-confronts-public-lands-chief-for-lying-about-involvement-in-ecoterrorism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2267919&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Tracy Stone-Manning, President Joe Biden\u2019s director\u200c of\u200b the \u200dBureau of Land Management (BLM), faced \u2062questioning before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about her involvement in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-gop-senator-again-calls-on-biden-to-withdraw-blm-nominee-following-report-she-did-not-cooperate-with-authorities-investigating-eco-terrorism-incident\/\" title=\"Top GOP Senator Again Calls On Biden To Withdraw BLM Nominee Following Report She Did Not Cooperate With Authorities Investigating \u2018Eco-Terrorism\u2019 Incident\">1989 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-bureau-of-land-management-nominee-tracy-stone-manning-was-involved-in-eco-terrorism-case-resulted-in-college-roommates-conviction-prison-sentence-court-records-show\/\" title=\"Biden Bureau Of Land Management Nominee Tracy Stone-Manning Was Involved In \u2018Eco-Terrorism\u2019 Case, Resulted In College Roommate\u2019s Conviction, Prison Sentence, Court Records Show\">tree-spiking<\/a> incident<\/a>. Senator Josh Hawley accused her of lying about her connections to a radical environmental group that used metal rods to spike trees, a method of ecoterrorism, \u2064in the Clearwater National Forest. \u2063This \u2062tactic aimed to\u200d intimidate timber workers but also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgraced-professor-sentenced-for-action-that-could-have-trapped-firefighters-in-deadly-blaze\/\" title=\"Professor convicted for endangering firefighters in fatal fire\">endangered firefighters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>During her confirmation process three years earlier, Stone-Manning testified she had never been \u200barrested or targeted by an investigation, despite being part of an investigation into the tree-spiking incident\u200d where she later received immunity in 1993. Despite Senator Hawley \u200dhighlighting past\u2064 adversities linked to\u200d spiked trees and \u2062questioning her integrity and past actions, Stone-Manning defended her \u2063testimony and portrayed herself as protective toward people\u200c by notifying federal authorities at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Contrasting perspectives emerged when \u200cretired Special \u200bAgent Michael Merkley described Stone-Manning as uncooperative and antagonistic\u2064 during the investigation, questioning her portrayal as a hero in the matter. Stone-Manning dismissed the\u200c focus on her past as a distraction from her performance at the BLM. Hawley insisted on addressing it due to the fatal potentials of\u200d tree-spiking.\u200b The exchange underscored ongoing safety concerns, with revelations that spikes \u2064still remain within the Clearwater National Forest \u2064trees, posing hidden dangers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>President Joe Biden\u2019s director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was forced to answer questions about her role in a 1989 tree-spiking case this week before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., accused BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning of lying to Congress about her role with a radical environmental group that \u201cspiked\u201d trees in the Clearwater National Forest near the Montana-Idaho border. Tree spiking consists of inserting metal rods into trees and is a form of ecoterrorism used by far-left activists in the 1980s and 1990s. The rods then become deadly projectiles when the trees are processed for logging. While they are intended to intimidate workers in the timber industry, metal mines planted in trees have also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/07\/02\/how-tracy-stone-manning-bidens-ecoterrorist-nominee-to-oversee-the-nations-land-put-firefighters-in-danger\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">injured firefighters<\/a> hastily working to extinguish massive blazes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1195083894\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a886177f76a2a32d20c3c721990fd6bf fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a886177f76a2a32d20c3c721990fd6bf\"><\/div>\n<p>In her written testimony, submitted to the committee as part of her confirmation proceedings three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-governor-breaks-his-own-covid-rules-to-eat-fancy-french-food\/\" title=\"Ca. Governor Breaks His Own COVID Rules To Eat Fancy French Food\">years ago<\/a>, Stone-Manning <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/12\/watchdog-group-files-interior-ig-complaint-over-tracy-stone-mannings-apparent-lie-to-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> she had \u201cnever been arrested or charged and to my knowledge I have never been the target of such an investigation.\u201d In 1989, however, Stone-Manning was the subject of an investigation into an Idaho tree-spiking ring that ultimately culminated in Stone-Manning receiving an immunity deal with prosecutors in 1993. Hawley asked the BLM director whether she stood by her written statement given her prior experience being investigated as an ecoterrorist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do stand by that testimony,\u201d she said, \u201cand was proud to be confirmed to do this job.\u201d The BLM chief went on to frame herself as the hero in the 1989 tree spiking drama in which activists planted 500 pounds of 8-to-10-inch spikes in the Clearwater National Forest to protest a timber sale. After Hawley outlined the hazards presented by spiked trees to blue-collar lumberjacks, Stone-Manning said the risks were \u201cwhy I notified the federal authorities\u201d of the trees targeted. Hawley responded by reading from a letter she had sent to the U.S. Forest Service. Stone-Manning had previously testified as part of her immunity deal in the 1990s that the letter was typed and sent on behalf of her former friend and roommate, John T. Blount.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018I would be more than willing to pay you a dollar for the sale but you\u2019d have to find me first and that could be your worst nightmare,\u2019\u201d Hawley read. \u201c\u2018P.S. You bastards go in there anyway and a lot of people could get hurt.\u2019 Why did you send this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understood that people could get hurt,\u201d she said, adding she was intimidated by those for whom she sent the letter. Hawley, however, went on to reference testimony from a lead investigator on the case who <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/07\/16\/new-details-expand-biden-nominee-tracy-stone-mannings-role-in-ecoterrorism-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delivered<\/a> a letter to the Senate committee three years ago contradicting Stone-Manning\u2019s claims of heroism.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cc4789067af1139683aa77b8e066dfb5 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cc4789067af1139683aa77b8e066dfb5\"><\/div>\n<p>Retired Special Agent Michael Merkley\u00a0told lawmakers that \u201cStone-Manning was not an innocent bystander, nor was she a victim in this case. And she most certainly was not a hero.\u201d Merkley added she was \u201cextremely difficult to work with\u201d and was even \u201cthe nastiest of the suspects.\u201d \u201cShe was vulgar, antagonistic and extremely anti-government,\u201d Merkley wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Stone-Manning, however, remained dismissive of Hawley\u2019s inquiries, asserting they were a distraction from her administrative tenure and were meant to focus attention on \u201ca salacious moment from graduate school where I tried to protect people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GjnwU2IivxQ?si=cmma84uhbK9WFUgB&#038;enablejsapi=1\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>    <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I don\u2019t understand is why we\u2019re not looking at the last three and a half years now,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere\u2019s why,\u201d Hawley said, \u201cit\u2019s because people are killed in these kinds of incidents. It is an act of terrorism. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wow-pa-election-observer-drops-bombshell-says-special-agents-from-ags-office-showed-up-at-her-door-to-question-her-after-she-testified-video\/\" title=\"WOW! PA Election Observer Drops BOMBSHELL - Says Special Agents from AG's Office Showed Up at Her Door to Question Her After She Testified (VIDEO)\">special agent<\/a> in charge found that you were involved. You lied to this committee.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3ae6c564deed54146fdd137e9d56f4d1 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3ae6c564deed54146fdd137e9d56f4d1\"><\/div>\n<p>What Hawley failed to mention, however, is that many of the trees in the Clearwater National Forest still have spikes in them, some of which remain 150 feet above ground and have likely now rusted, making the rods more difficult to find. In 2021, Sen. James Risch asked then-Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen whether the agency had a program to root out spikes planted by environmental terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Post Office Sale,\u201d Risch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.senate.gov\/hearings\/2021\/6\/full-committee-hearing-to-examine-the-president-s-fy-2022-budget-request-for-the-u-s-forest-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explained<\/a>, in reference to the timber sale hampered by Stone-Manning\u2019s team of activists, \u201chas trees still standing that have tree spikes in them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Christiansen\u00a0was unsure if a public service to remove the metal rods exists.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[RELATED:[RELATED:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/07\/22\/memories-of-tree-spiking-are-fresh-where-tracy-stone-manning-engaged-in-ecoterrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Memories Of Tree Spiking Are Fresh Where Tracy Stone-Manning Engaged In Ecoterrorism<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stone-Manning\u2019s contradictory testimony, delivered amid her turbulent confirmation process, became the subject of a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/12\/watchdog-group-files-interior-ig-complaint-over-tracy-stone-mannings-apparent-lie-to-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complaint<\/a> by a nonpartisan government watchdog group. Two weeks after Stone-Manning secured a party-line Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/01\/tracy-stone-mannings-confirmation-signals-democrat-embrace-of-ecoterrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approval<\/a>, the transparency nonprofit Protect the Public\u2019s Trust submitted a request that the Department of the Interior\u2019s inspector general investigate the debacle, including whether agency employees assisted Stone-Manning in preparing her written testimony.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-20ed761485fd37c1f436f2e728f4d100 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-20ed761485fd37c1f436f2e728f4d100\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, President Joe Biden&#8217;s Bureau of Land Management Director, Tracy Stone-Manning, faced Senate questioning about her involvement in a 1989 tree-spiking incident. During the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) accused Stone-Manning of misleading Congress regarding her connections to radical environmental activities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2267920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hawley.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2267919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hawley.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2267919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2267920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2267919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2267919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2267919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}