In its 2012 general session,
the Utah Legislature passed HB148: The Transfer of Public Lands Act.
This bill charged the Constitutional Defense Council with the duty to
study the many complex issues pertaining to the public lands and to
report its findings to the Legislature. As director of the Governor's
Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, I have overseen this ongoing
study.
My experience as the previous
executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the
national director of the United States Bureau of Land Management has
given me a unique insight into public lands policy: Utah's public lands
would be better managed, more productive and more accessible under state
stewardship.
Current federal land policy
and management is inefficient, ineffective and threatens the long-term
use and enjoyment of the public lands. Washington gridlock has resulted
in a system where rigid and often conflicting management policies
shackle federal land managers and prevent them from actively managing
the lands.
Outmoded federal policies have
resulted in forests that are vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire,
insect infestation and disease. Our rangelands are deteriorating and
restoration efforts are underfunded. While land is rich in timber and
mineral resources, production efforts are either precluded entirely or
greatly limited by regulations, endless administrative red tape and
lawsuits brought by interest groups that oppose any use of the land.
As long as the public lands
remain under federal control, they will continue to deteriorate, and
Utah and its citizens will be deprived of the many economic benefits to
which we are entitled and so desperately need. I am confident that, in
state hands, the public lands will be restored, protected and more
productive.
Utahns have always been good
stewards of the land. We have a long track record of both environmental
protection and fiscal responsibility. Utah has the expertise in existing
agencies —including those within the Department of Natural Resources,
the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of
Agriculture and Food — to address the many complex and interrelated
issues of public land management. Utahns know that people from around
the world flock to our state for its unmatched beauty and incredible
scenery, and to experience meaningful outdoor experiences...
HB148 is neither a "land grab" nor a "political stunt," as some have
maliciously alleged. It is an earnest effort to draw attention to a
federal lands policy that does not protect the land, does not pay for
itself and does not meet the economic or energy challenges of today.
There is no intent to sell transferred lands. Rather, these lands will
be retained in state ownership and control so that they forever benefit
not only the people who live, work and recreate on them, but all Utahns
who look to government services to educate their children and enhance
their lives.
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