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Hello everybody welcome to The

County Seat I'm your host Chad

Booth we are honored to have with

us Congressman Chris Stewart

represents the southwest part of

Utah clear up into Salt Lake County

and Congressman Stewart thank you

for joining us.

It's an honor.

The entire impetus to make the

phone call to get in touch with you is

about some recent legislation that

has a big impact on Utah's public and

private lands in rural Utah this just

happened a couple of weeks ago

could you tell us about this.

There are a couple things hope to talk

about today one is suicide prevention

hotline which has enormous impacts

on the rural parts of our state as well

I think what you are talking about is

legislation that we included in the

farm bill last week again very

important to rural Utah when you

look at my district I have a really

eclectic district I have downtown salt

lake by the university west and south

all the way to St. George some very

rural parts of the state in my district

and we proudly represent them some

of the most beautiful places in the

country I'd say in the world are in the

second district but turns out federal

government is a big part of people's

lives because so much of these

districts are controlled by the federal

government and the legislation that

we are talking about now is a

legislation that deals with a problem

that is growing here and that is the

pinion juniper which is an invasive

species and it comes in and it takes

over habitat for sage grouse and for

mule deer and it also becomes an

enormous fire hazard I know that you

know it creates an environment

where raptors which can be

predatory also thrive but some of the

sage grouse do not. Some of the laws

of the federal government it

streamlines the environmental

process it allows the federal

government to particularly the BLM

to be much more aggressive in trying

to remove some of this sub pinion

juniper and something we have been

working on Chad for a long time and

finally got it over the finish line.

On a regulatory side it's been a bit of

a night mare we have covered the

issues several times was the BLM

happy to see this are they wanting to

do more of this?

For sure including the state BLM and

now the federal BLM my former chief

of staff Dr. Brian Steed who is a

terrific chief for me is the acting

director of the BLM he understands

this issue and the west and

understands the frustration of paper

work and red tape he knows that

from an environmental perspective

this is a very positive thing to do but

there are some activists groups and

environmental groups that oppose it

they have a lot of power and a lot of

money they are very active and they

have made it difficult. We have been

trying to do this for several years the

environmental positive nature and

positive outcome of this is almost

refutable and again for sage grouse

or mule deer or for other species this

is an easy one and we have finally

cleared the path where the BLM can

be much more aggressive in doing

this.

I find it so interesting that some of

these extreme environmental groups

that fight this claim to be groups for

biodiversity and yet they are trying to

protect a monoculture because once

the pinion juniper take over nothing

grows and all the understory

disappears and we have seen it and

have taken people out on range tours

on our program we have seen it

directly how does it stream line the

process and does it take that ability in

the environmental process to cut

down on the constant litigation when

this happens.

The litigation is something that we

have to deal with separately because

the fact is you can always sue they

might sue and lose but many times

they do not care if they lose they just

want to stop the process and I will

give you an example before I came to

congress I was helping an

environmental firm that we would

help people on federal lands and we

would have people come and file and

take down some of the dead wood

partially after a fire after a few years

that wood has some value and some

groups would immediately sue as

soon as they did that the firm would

withdraw their permit knowing that it

was going to take longer to fight even

though they might win it would take

longer to fight but then the wood

would last and the wood would be

worth nothing 3 to 4 years later and

many times that is their objective.

It's not to necessarily to win in court

it's just to delay and gum up the

process hoping that the other part

would throw up their hands and say

it's too hard it's too expensive. So

that is an issue that will continue and

this mitigates it a little bit but

primarily what it does it allows for

categorical exclusion it allows for the

BLM and in a few cases other

government agencies to say broadly

we have already studied this issue we

know the environmental impacts of

this issue we know the environmental

outcomes of this issue and it allows it

to go forward more quickly rather

than going through a very deep and

detailed environmental studies again

and again when they already know

what the study is going to conclude.

It's like preventing insanity same

actions with the same result.

We are talking about Congress I'm

not going that far.

How do the mule deer benefit from

this obviously if you get the pinion

juniper out you get a reintroduction

of sage grouse which strangely

enough needs lots of grass because

they use sage grouse for cover or the

sage for cover but they don't

necessarily dine on it how does it

help the deer in this process.

It's just a better habitat for them like

you said. The pinion juniper cut down

on the natural feed the natural

grasses that would otherwise develop

they provide some cover but they

don't provide ideal cover and they

end up taking up a lot of water so you

know the sportsmen love this

legislation I heard from dozens of

them over the weekend here in Utah

and various groups the very first

groups reached out after we passed

this legislation were the sports

groups they know this is a real

positive thing for them if you like to

hunt and manage healthy deer herds

or elks this is a very positive thing for

that.

Does this also help ranchers as well?

It does it's a win win situation and it

helps the esthetics as well. You got

mule deer sage grouse elk a better

environment to grasses and water

conversation and it looks better you

can go out and see these green

meadows that look healthier than

that dry pinion that we see

everywhere.

Excellent we will take a quick break

and we will talk about suicide

prevention at the Utah and national

level to try and move that along. We

will be right back with The County

Seat.

Welcome back to The County Seat we

are talking with Congressman Chris

Stewart today we covered a piece of

recent legislation so far that deals

with land habitat and rehabilitation

and land habitat on federal land now

I want to turn our attention to an

outlier and opioid problem mental

health problem extends across the

state particular in rural Utah let's talk

about suicide prevention.

Yes, let's do and by the way the good

news is we are talking about this I

was talking to someone earlier and

made this point if I were in a group of

100 people five years ago and said

how many of you have been touched

by suicide in your family or with

people that you love maybe a few of

them would raise their hand if I had

that same group of 100 people same

people and ask that question today

many of them would. The reason

being is we are more open to talk

about it more willing to recognize it's

a problem here in Utah not just

somewhere else its deep problem

here in Utah and it's a problem

among our veterans and a problem in

our rural communities and we want

to try and help that the good news is

there are things that we can do to

help. People who are so discouraged

and despairing that they are really

contemplating taking their own life if

they can talk to the right person if

they can get help many times we can

help that persons we can give them

what they need in order to get them

to a better place and go on and be

happy and lead a fulfilling life. We

have to be able to reach them at this

critical moment. That is what this

legislation does it makes it much

easier for those people who really

need help whether you live in rural

Utah or New York city it allows

people who need help to get that

help and do it very quickly.

What are the mechanics of it how is

this going to help Loa Utah.

It's pretty simple if you go to Loa or

St. George or Salt Leak City if you ask

people if you are someone you know

is contemplating suicide who would

you call most people say I don't know

I guess I would google suicide

prevention and the thing is there is a

1 800 number but no one knows

what it is. Our answer is the number

is probably 611. It might be 211 or

411 but it's going to be a 3 digit

number so people know when you

have an emergency you call 911 if

you have a mental health emergency

you call 611. People will remember

that in that critical moment when you

are not thinking clearly or someone

you love is not thinking clearly that is

not the time for them gosh I wish I

knew what that number was. 611

they call in and it routes that call to

the local resource. If you call that

number is Salt Lake City or in Loa you

will be routed to Utah's health

hotline for that if you call in another

state or city you would be routed to a

local resource. People who are

trained and compassionate people

who want to help and are able to

help in those situations,

So this in a way is a broader

application of 911 which I think

almost all states now use as an

emergency response and it goes from

that local exchange to local law

enforcement so in Loa they would be

dispatched to Richfield where their 6

county mental health is salt lake they

go to some connection of mental

health.

In some cases that local facility may

be busy or not have resources

available then it would automatically

relay to the next closes probably here

in SLC. Salt Lake City we do such

great job on that, Utah I should say

we do such a good job we have

referrals from all over the country

that come here because we are very

effective at it and we are able to

provide an intermediate step that

some states are not able to do. But

your point Chad as you were saying it

is a close resource that understands

and reach out and give you some

support you may be needing.

Has this been tried anywhere else?

No, not that I am aware of certainly

not here in our country. That is why

this is a national suicide prevention

hotline it's not a state suicide

prevention it's a national effort

reason being there just is nothing like

it here in the US.

Do you have high hopes for it?

Absolutely. For a number of reasons

this is a good actual civics lesson if

you will this is bipartisan it does not

cost anything and who is objecting to

this yet still it took us 3 years to get

this through congress you want to

beat your head against the wall

sometimes it should not take that

long but the good news is once again

its bipartisan and it's not

controversial it's not expensive and

we have a broad coalition and from

veterans groups by the way as a

veteran myself and someone that

comes from a family of veterans I

understand they have particular

needs sometimes so we are very

optimistic we think this will be

implemented probably in the first

quarter or so of 2019.

Let me take a minute before we go to

our next break and talk about

Washington.

Why would you want to ruin this

whole thing by talking about that?

We are at the end of the year and

things are going to change in

congress when you head back how is

Utah going to navigate that in your

opinion?

Well, we will because we always have

we have had changes in the house

and senate changes in the white

house it's not the end of the world or

democracy although sometimes we

feel like it is and sometimes we have

reason to feel like it is. So we will get

through it I will tell you my job is

much less satisfying because it's

going to be very very difficult to do

things that I think are priorities. I sit

on two very powerful committees,

some of the most powerful

committees in congress. The

appropriations committee and I am

optimistic on that we have great

relationships on both sides of the isle

we worked with them democrats and

their priorities and expect they are

going to work with us and we will

have bipartisan support and some

good outcomes in appropriations. A

good example of that is the problem

we have had with wild horses that is

a bipartisan effort on that. The other

committee I sit on is the Intelligence

committee it's going to be hard the

incoming chairman is a very partisan

person he wants nothing more than

to investigate and embarrass and to

eventually impeach our president and

it's going to be a bit of a struggle on

that committee and speaking Chad

broadly about congress we have 2

years where the democrats have

different set of priorities but we still

need to fund the government there is

still important legislation that needs

to move forward and I am hopeful we

will find a way to do some of that.

Is their majority a legislative proof

majority that they have gained on the

other party?

No not in this sense they will be able

to pass their priorities through the

house but they won't get it through

the republican senate unless they can

work in a bipartisan fashion they will

not get the senate to approve or the

president will end up vetoing it so

hopefully it brings the democrats to a

positon where they go if we are going

to do anything we have to do

something in a bipartisan way by the

way if they don't they will pay a real

price in 2020 because the American

people they may not like Donald

Trump but you cannot disagree that

he has been successful in

implementing some important

policies. Where there is tax reform

environmental issues we talked about

defeating ISIS rebuilding our military

Justice Gorsuch on the supreme court

and other important courts the

president has been successful if he

can go to the American people and

say look what I have done democrats

need to do that in 2020 and the only

way they will be able to is if we can

find ways we can work together.

We will take quick break I have some

questions for you. We will be right

back with the County Seat.

Welcome back to the county seat we

are spending time with Congressman

Chris Stewart in the studio today.

Intelligence this is a very important

area and it's an area you have been

active in are you concerned with the

change in priorities that there are

some things on the table that we

should be paying attention to that we

are not going to and what are they?

Yes, I am a little bit before I go too far

on that I will be fair and say let's wait

and see there are certain priorities

that the intel communities that the

house and senate have to do there

are some places that I have to go and

approve some things if we do not do

that those activities have to cease. I

think my democratic colleagues on

the intelligence committee recognize

that and honor that I hope they will

the work is too important. The thing

that concerns me is when you listen

to them and what they have said

since the election they have talked

about none of that they have

expressed no interest in talking or

pursuing those important priorities

for the American people it's always

been as I have said it's been about

investigating the president. The good

news on this I'm not being Polly Anna

I really believe that national security

and our intelligence operations are so

important that the end of the day

democrat's republican's

independents they recognize that in

think they will give it the attention

that they know it needs. It's the most

important thing that we do. The

fundamental responsibility of the

federal government is to keep us safe

if they fail on that what else matters.

Again I think most people in congress

remember that.

How does this all play out in the

border that seems to take all the

oxygen out of the room when you

bring it up?

It does and by the way 2 things on

that one is the president has done

that as well I do not think we need to

refer to it as the wall it's not going to

be a wall no one is suggesting that we

actually build a 2000 mile wall. Its

border security and if you want to

know what it looks like go to Israel

and look at what they have done very

effectively and how its incredible

deflection of terrorists activity once

they put up their version of the wall

or border security. The sensors areas

observed drones of some cases and

sometimes it's actually a wall or a

fence. Anyone who suggest that is a

bad idea I just don't get them how

can you not realize that every nation

has a responsibility and a right to

protect itself and protect their own

borders.

Wouldn't there be some people for

calling you a nationalist for saying

that your borders are important.

If the definition of a nationalist is that

then I am but for heaven's sake they

use it in a derogatory way and they

actually bastardize the definition of it

in many ways its unfair and it's just a

way to wean people if you think

putting Americans interests is the job

of American leadership then that is

what we are trying to do so it's been

too politicized there is no doubt

about it and partially of late. A

couple of years ago the democrats all

supported this idea of border security

and they have backed off of that

again its politics that has driven them

backwards not policy I hope we

resolve that in the next few days

That's going to resolve a mindset of

people that are currently in office is it

not?

Well one would hope in a since there

will be an agreement and this is

important but again people use this a

political football my democratic

colleagues use it to motivate and an

already angry democratic race and

they want to keep that as an issue

republicans such as myself are driven

by this idea that this incredibly

important to us and our constituents

and to the president and those two

principals have come in conflict for a

while now.

I don't want to go too far without

another break we will be right back

with our final comments with

Congressman Chris Stewart here on

The County Seat.

Welcome back to The County Seat

having a really good conversation

today with Congressman Chris

Stewart and I do have a final question

for you we have a couple minutes left

and you have been really good at

telling us all the stuff we have asked

what can constituents do to help you

do your job the next 2 years.

That's a great question I think I would

say 3 things. The first thing is I talk to

too many people who have really lost

hope they feel like it's the end of the

world and not because of the election

I am talking about this time in general

and by the way a lot of democrats

feel that way they feel like Donald

Trump is the end of time the end of

humanity and freedom and

democracy and it turns out that's

probably not true a lot republicans

are feeling the same way for very

different reasons. So the first thing I

would ask as Americans is that we

recognize we have been through

tough times before we got through

the civil war and miracle of the

creation of the constitution when

some of our founding fathers fought

immediately after that we been

through the great depressing the cold

war we can find a way to get through

this. I would ask people don't lose

hope and don't despair have faith in

one another have faith in our country

and the second thing I would ask and

this is harder I say it a bit reluctantly

but it's true we need to have a bit of

patience we cannot fix every problem

overnight I think this president has

done a remarkable job in addressing

meaningful problems as I have listed

here but even he has learned you

don't fix them with a stroke of a pen

on one weekend. It takes time that's

the way our founding fathers set it

up. God Bless them for doing that it

helps in a reasonable manner but

sometimes we have to remind

ourselves be patient keep working do

not despair and don't get

discouraged if we do that we will

work our way through this and we

will be okay.

Excellent thank you and we

appreciate your time Congressman

come back anytime we want to thank

you for tuning into the county seat

each week remember local

government and county government

is where your life really takes place

be involved be part of the solution

and we will see you next week on the

county seat.