Ariz. gov. vetoes bill that demanded federal land

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation Monday that would have had the state join Utah in demanding that the federal government surrender control of millions of acres of public land. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed similar states’ rights legislation in March despite warnings from legislative attorneys that the law was probably unconstitutional. Supporters of the Arizona legislation argued that the states would be better managers of resources such as timber and minerals on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Critics called the legislation an embarrassment and said it could open the door to easing environmental protections for public land. Supporters of the Arizona bill acknowledged during legislative debate that there was little chance that Washington would actually surrender any land to the state. “I am concerned about the lack of certainty this legislation could create for individuals holding existing leases on federal lands,’’ Brewer said in a statement. “Given the difficult economic times, I do not believe this is the time to add to that uncertainty.’’ Each state’s legislation specifically includes or exempts certain types of property...more