Gov. Gary Herbert said he supports a proposal demanding that Congress relinquish control of federal lands within Utah and suing for damages if it does not comply. Herbert said the federal government agreed to sell off its holdings in the state when Utah was granted statehood, with 5 percent of the proceeds going to schools. He said it has failed to live up to its bargain. "The federal government needs to answer the question: ‘Why have you not disposed of the property?’ " he said during his monthly KUED news conference. "It’s been to our economic detriment, and we ought to get an answer to that and if that means we go to court, ultimately, then so be it." Several Republican legislators are proposing a package of bills that would demand the federal government relinquish about 33 million acres in the state — about two-thirds of the entire landmass — and set a deadline of the end of 2014 to comply. If Congress fails to act, the lawmakers are seeking $3 million to launch a legal battle to force the federal government to pay damages. "They’ve just decided unilaterally that they’re going to breach the contract," Herbert said. "We ought to find out why and if there’s some compensation they should give to us for that breach of contract. "Herbert said not having access to so much federal land has undermined Utah’s tax base and hampered economic development....
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Yep...the state will seek the 3 million it needs to sue...waste of taxpayer money they don't even have and the state thinks they can manage the land better than the feds..hhmmmmm?
This is just another example of states out of touch and looking for a quick buck...sell the land to private businesses and it will be raped and pillaged for profit! The average, everyday American/ Utah resident won't have access to it ever again.
People don't realize that a luxury it is to have places to go in the western US..called federal lands..just ask a person in Texas where they go to hunt, fish, hike, and camp...
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