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HOME  - Activism More states looking at Southern Nevada approach
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More states looking at Southern Nevada approach |
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Written by Scott Silver
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Saturday, 10 June 2006 |
The appended editorial from today's LV-Review basically suggests that we cash out all of America's public lands. It might not say that in as many words, but it says that nevertheless. It also points to SNPLMA as the model for this sell-off.
I'd just like to remind folks that while a few of us have continually spoken in opposition to that model .... many environmental/ conservation groups ACTIVELY supported it.
What is it about slippery slopes and wet paint --- or so I wonder???
Scott
Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the
universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a
bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to
touch to be sure. - source unknown
---- begin quoted ----
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-10-Sat-2006/news/7882079.html
Jun. 10, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
EDITORIAL: Federal land holdings
More states looking at Southern Nevada approach
At the urging of Nevada's congressional delegation, Congress passed the
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act in 1998. It's been tweaked a
few times since, but essentially calls for the Bureau of Land
Management to sell off various federal lands in Southern Nevada, with
some of the proceeds reverting to local governments and education.
The land sales have raised billions of dollars.
With that kind of money at stake, it's not surprising that our
delegation over the past year had to fight off efforts by the Bush
administration to divert a portion of the cash to the federal Treasury.
And now, other states are looking to copy the Southern Nevada model.
For example, in Utah, officials in Washington County -- home to booming
St. George -- are pushing a federal law that would mandate that the BLM
sell 25,000 acres, with the money going to county agencies and various
local conservation projects. A portion of the funds would help pay for
a water pipeline from Lake Powell.
Predictably, environmentalists are not happy with the prospect of other jurisdictions emulating the Southern Nevada model.
"As far as wilderness is concerned, this is a miserable piece of
legislation," Scott Groene, an executive director of the Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times.
In fact, the federal government owns far too much land -- particularly
in the West -- and the more put into private hands, the better.
The only problem with the Southern Nevada approach is that a certain
percentage of the money raised by federal land sales in Clark County
must be set aside for Washington to buy more "environmentally
sensitive" land elsewhere -- an effort intended to ensure that the
federal real estate portfolio doesn't shrink, thus putting half the BLM
work force in the unemployment line.
Other than that, however, the move by states and local governments to
hasten the disposal of Washington's vast land holdings near developing
Western communities is long overdue.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 21 September 2006 )
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