Nevada follows Utah in exploring transfer of public lands
ST. GEORGE Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Assembly Bill 227 into Nevada law Tuesday, approving the creation of the Nevada Land Management Task Force. The signing of AB 227 makes Nevada the uk canada goose fifth state to look into the movement initiated by Utah lawmakers that urges the federal government to transfer management of public lands over to state control.
In a press release issued by the American Lands Council, Nevada Assemblyman John Ellison, the primary sponsor of AB 227, said, “Gov. Sandoval and our state legislature have taken the first step in fulfilling our responsibility to our children and for the future of our state in making congress honor the same promise to Nevada that it made and kept with Hawaii and all other states east of Colorado.”
The “promise” that Ellison refers to is what is referred canada goose outlet to as a state’s “enabling act,” which is basically canada goose uk black friday a statehood contract. When a state joins cheap Canada Goose the country, part of its lands are held under federal jurisdiction which land transfer proponents argue was only meant to be a temporary arrangement. While lands management was transferred to many states that lie east of Colorado, in the west this did not come about.
On March 23, 2012, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law House Bill 148, known as The Transfer of Public Lands Act. HB 148 was spearheaded by Rep. Ken Ivory and demands the federal government transfer control of the public lands to the state by the end of 2014.
Like the Utah bill, Nevada’s AB 227 does not include national parks and other lands that have a similarly protected status in the proposed transfer. Public lands currently cover an estimated 70 percent of Utah, and over 81 percent of Nevada.
It has also been argued by public land transfer advocates that putting the lands back under state control will help create jobs, grow local and state economies, and help canada goose outlet nyc better fund education. This would be accomplished by the canada goose outlet jackets states opening up previously locked out areas canada goose outlet shop where oil, natural gas, and other natural resources can be accessed and harvested for use. Taxes collected from the public use of those lands would also provide additional funding to state educational spending.
Currently, the federal government provides “Payment in Lieu of Taxes,” or “PILT” monies, to the states as a substitute for these funds. These funds are given to the state which then distributes them across the state to the counties and school districts.
Previously, Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner told St. George News that money canada goose derived from the use of canada goose outlet online public lands would be many times more than what the county and school district presently receives via PILT funds.
“There’s so much revenue potential out there,” Gardner said. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in canada goose outlet uk sale mid 2010. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction, often telling people go left while Canada Goose Outlet he is pointing right. Numbers greater than five also confuse him.
Posted in Government, NewsTagged federal vs. state control, Nevada, public lands, Public Lands Transfer, Public Lands Transfer Tack force, slider
EVERY STATE ENABLING ACT promising that ALL public canada goose outlet black friday lands will canada goose outlet be disposed of by the federal government so that the states can tax their own land. And if they couldn dispose of it, they were to GIVE it to the states. Here is the https://www.nationaalzweminstituuteindhoven.nl document link you requested.
Mr. Gardner, the state can even properly fund the state parks it has now. We as a state are no where near financially capable of managing the BLM/Forest Service lands in Utah. Short of selling off huge chunks of the federal lands you propose to take over to private parties (and locking the public out of them in the process) there is no way state ownership of federal lands makes financial sense. The reason these lands are not in private hands now is that there was no water to go with the lands. They are being used now for their best and highest use recreation, grazing, and gas/oil/mineral development. Bringing them under state control won magically make every existing oil and mineral claim financially viable.
Your claim that the state was promised what are now federal lands at statehood is a Tea Party/Sagebrush Rebellion myth. Simply repeating it does not make it true.
I like to see the county commissioners more focused on issues that will bring long term prosperity to the area: education/job training and recruitment of companies in high tech growth industries. We can keep building and selling homes to canada goose uk outlet each other forever. When Apple/Google/Ebay decide to open a facility here it will be because we have an educated and hardworking job canada goose black friday sale force. It will be because of quality of life factors and higher education opportunities. It won be because a man can graze a cow, ride an ATV or run a bulldozer wherever the hell he wants.
This neo sagebrush rebellion is wasted time and money and diverts us from meaningful work to improve southern Utah for our kids and grandkids.
Well said, Bender. Many of Alan ilk fail to realize that federal ownership of these lands injects money into the state economy because of the costs of managing them. canada goose outlet store uk If the land belonged to the state, that money would have to be extracted from us residents via higher taxes. Another widespread myth is that extractive uses such as mining or logging would increase greatly under state ownership while the truth is that very little of this activity is restricted under current federal land use policies.
I afraid you do not have the canada goose outlet store facts. Each state has the actual numbers of how much revenue is pulled from federal land vs. state lands. The revenue from what is pulled out is FAR more than the cost of doing so, and that is WITHOUT the improved management by the states. And if they couldn dispose of it, they were to GIVE it to the states. Here is the document link you requested.
Contrary to those who have discounted Mr. Gardner, he in fact is absolutely accurate in his statement and indeed both derisive comments neglect the significance of the overarching magnitude in both economic terms but also in the sense of better management of the public lands.
Now, when states including Utah entered the Union they entered voluntarily and entered into a compact with the United States to receive equal treatment and enjoy the separate but mutual advantages set forth by the greatest country on earth. If you like being a subject vs. a citizen then continue to think like one. As for citizens, or in other words free people the time is due for Utah to manage it own destiny and act independent of expensive enticements.
Logic sir is a function of two specific inputs:1. reasoning with information 2. reasoning from perspective. If indeed your superior logic can handle the scrutiny please enlighten me on the following points of your position:
1. Why would federal management of Utah resources be better for Utah than Utah management? If you can provide legitimate evidence please do so and identify canada goose jacket outlet specific examples of how federal fiscal policy is sound regarding revenues accumulated on Utah public lands. canada goose clearance sale As follow up to this question are you a Utahn? and if so do you believe in democracy? I ask this question because I would like to know, considering your unfaltering capacity to identify weak logic, whether the course the state takes should allow you or any other Utahn room for their input in decisions. As compared to accepting dictates on policy under the DC regime.
2. You allege that pursuing the transfer of public lands is canada goose outlet canada both a waste of time and money. Once again do enlighten those of us with a weaker logic how Utah should pursue the shortage of revenues to fund education in primary, secondary and post secondary education when the resources are exploited, not by development but by a federal partner who has mismanaged so poorly the treasury that it must keep high amounts Canada Goose online of our precious resource dollars, derived from resources within the state, to pay interest on bloated debt that jeopardizes or national security while, in the name of conservationism, wastes more than any business could ever imagine. Please advise.
Yes, Utah resident here. My ancestors crossed the plains and homesteaded here. My kids attend public schools here. I recreate on public lands here. My business brings in outside money, pays taxes and employee salaries here.
