For years, opponents of the Transfer of Public Lands Act have been trying to claim that the states can't afford to manage their own lands. Then they use this claim as a way to scare people into believing that the states would be forced to sell off their public lands to the highest bidder. Nothing could be further from the truth.

All of the independent studies done have shown that states manage their lands far more productively than the federal agencies are able to, largely because of the failed federal policies that have been handed down from an out-of-state landlord for several decades. These studies have been confirmed as just this week, Governor Gary Herbert released the economic study done by Utah's Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO), as a result of the Transfer of Public Lands Act (HB 148), passed in 2012, and HB 142, passed 2013.

In 2013, the Utah Legislature passed H.B. 142, giving PLPCO the responsibility of directing and overseeing a study and economic analysis of the Transfer of Public Lands contemplated by H.B. 148. PLPCO put together a team of economists from the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Weber State University to conduct the analysis. The team worked on the study for over 18 months preparing a final report "An Analysis of a Transfer of Federal Lands to the State of Utah."

The bottom line:

We cannot afford NOT to manage our own public lands. Our economy depends on it.

Please take a moment to look over this study. Know it's key points and be prepared to share it with those within your circle of influence who may not realize the importance of transferring the public lands to the management of the states, as was guaranteed in our state enabling acts. This is a critical piece in educating our elected officials and others concerning why the Transfer of Public Lands is the only solution big enough to provide better health, access, and productivity of our public lands.

The state has also created a summary of this report for quicker digestion.

Full: UT's PLPCO Transfer of Public Lands Economic Study

Summary: State Summary of PLPCO Economic Study

Also, The Blaze TV recently shot an episode in NM that will air tonight on "For the Record." The episode is titled "Losing Our Land" and will focus on the land problems continually faced in the West. We urge you to watch this episode and pass it on to your contacts. View this page for the full information. 

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