Utah Demands Land Back From the Feds

Utah to seize own land from government, challenge federal dominance of Western states

In three weeks, Utah intends to seize control of 31.2 million acres of its own land now under the control of the federal government. At least, that’s the plan.

In an unprecedented challenge to federal dominance of Western state lands, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert in 2012 signed the “Transfer of Public Lands Act,” which demands that Washington relinquish its hold on the land, which represents more than half of the state’s 54.3 million acres, by Dec. 31.

For a clue as to what motivates such a move:

I'm not really clear on how that pattern emerged, except a non causal explanation that the Feds kept more land for themselves as states were added to the union. Most of the land is arid and was not heavily settled. Utah is the third most federally owned (57.4%) after Nevada (with ridiculous 84.4%) and Alaska (69.1).

So far, however, the federal government hasn’t given any indication that it plans to cooperate. Still, state Rep. Ken Ivory, who sponsored the legislation, isn’t deterred.

I fail to see where giving a large portion of these lands back to the state where they reside would hurt the country. If the state wants to keep the land in wilderness, it can. If it wishes to sell or lease the land further for resource extraction, and generate jobs and revenue, it would be free to do so, the same way it has traditionally been done in the East.

Woohoo! This made #1 in William Teach's Fine Fifteen list of stories to read on "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup". Although, I don't know if that's ordered by quality or time.