04-16-2015, 05:40 AM
This argument has divided east and west for a while now.
"Federal land ownership is concentrated in the West. Specifically, 62% of Alaska is federally owned, as is 47% of the 11 coterminous western states. By contrast, the federal government owns only 4% of lands in the other states. This western concentration has contributed to a higher degree of controversy over land ownership and use in that part of the country."
"Emphasis shifted during the 20th century from the disposal and conveyance of title to private citizens to the retention and management of the remaining federal lands. During debates on the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act, some western Members of Congress acknowledged the poor prospects for relinquishing federal lands to the states, but language included in the act left disposal as a possibility. It was not until the enactment of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA)8 that Congress expressly declared that the remaining public domain lands generally would remain in federal ownership.9 This declaration of permanent federal land ownership was a significant factor in what became known as the Sagebrush Rebellion, an effort that started in the late 1970s to provide state or local control over federal land and management decisions. To date, judicial challenges and legislative and executive efforts generally have not resulted in broad changes to the level of federal ownership. Current authorities for acquiring and disposing of federal lands are unique to each agency.10"
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42346.pdf
There are also some pictures in there to show just how much federal land is owned in the west compared to the eastern US. Currently Idaho is about 61% federally owned and 5% state owned as compared to 1.43% and 0.49% in Texas. It should also be remembered when people talk about selling off that land, the fed already grants lease agreements for logging, mineral rights, grazing rights, but takes the choice of how to manage those lands away from the local people. I don't know that state ownership would suddenly change most of those lands for the worse.
[signature]
"Federal land ownership is concentrated in the West. Specifically, 62% of Alaska is federally owned, as is 47% of the 11 coterminous western states. By contrast, the federal government owns only 4% of lands in the other states. This western concentration has contributed to a higher degree of controversy over land ownership and use in that part of the country."
"Emphasis shifted during the 20th century from the disposal and conveyance of title to private citizens to the retention and management of the remaining federal lands. During debates on the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act, some western Members of Congress acknowledged the poor prospects for relinquishing federal lands to the states, but language included in the act left disposal as a possibility. It was not until the enactment of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA)8 that Congress expressly declared that the remaining public domain lands generally would remain in federal ownership.9 This declaration of permanent federal land ownership was a significant factor in what became known as the Sagebrush Rebellion, an effort that started in the late 1970s to provide state or local control over federal land and management decisions. To date, judicial challenges and legislative and executive efforts generally have not resulted in broad changes to the level of federal ownership. Current authorities for acquiring and disposing of federal lands are unique to each agency.10"
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42346.pdf
There are also some pictures in there to show just how much federal land is owned in the west compared to the eastern US. Currently Idaho is about 61% federally owned and 5% state owned as compared to 1.43% and 0.49% in Texas. It should also be remembered when people talk about selling off that land, the fed already grants lease agreements for logging, mineral rights, grazing rights, but takes the choice of how to manage those lands away from the local people. I don't know that state ownership would suddenly change most of those lands for the worse.
[signature]