In the News October 16-21 2014
Today's Headlines: Commissioner pleads not guilty to charges stemming from ATV protest ride; Richard Leib: Just Leave Us Alone; Simpson Makes Another Run at Central Idaho Wilderness; Grazing Wars: Grass March Cowboys Ride to Capitol Hill; SAN GABRIELS: Locals have mountains of questions on new monument; Lawmakers vent to feds, assert forest fire inaction; The West’s Fight for Self-Government; BLM Employees Charged Taxpayers $799,000 for 'Gift Cards'; Commissioner Leads Charge For County to Jump in Water Lawsuit; Harvey attends American Lands Council conference
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BYU Law Review-Fed Govt’s Duty to Dispose of Public
Recent legislation passed in March 2012 in the State of Utah — the “Transfer of Public Lands Act and Related Study,” (“TPLA”) also commonly referred to as House Bill 148 (“H.B. 148”) — has demanded that the federal government, by December 31, 2014, “extinguish title” to certain public lands that the federal government currently holds (totaling an estimated more than 20 million acres). It also calls for the transfer of such acreage to the State and establishes procedures for the development of a management regime for this increased state portfolio of land holdings resulting from the transfer. The State of Utah claims that the federal government made promises to it (at statehood when the federal government obtained the lands) that the federal ownership would be of limited duration and that the bulk of those lands would be timely disposed of by the federal government into private ownership or otherwise returned to the State.
Read moreUtah Ends 2014 Session With Package of Transfer Bills
Sutherland Institute, March 24, 2014
The Utah Legislature adjourned with a nice package of bills to support the state’s Transfer of Public Lands (TPLA) initiative. Since they’ve already passed a bill demanding transfer, the next step is to address what happens to the lands when that transfer occurs.
Read moreReason Magazine: Take Back The Land
In 2012, Utah passed the Transfer of Public Lands Act, a law that essentially demanded that the federal government surrender the two-thirds of state territory it controls. Other western states, including Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho, are now considering similar measures. Now Utah has gone a step further: planning for a future that isn’t funded by federal largesse.
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RNC Unanimously Supports TPL
RNC unanimous resolution supports TPL (Transfer of Public Lands).
“RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee calls upon all national and state leaders and representatives to exert their utmost power and influence to urge the imminent transfer of public lands to all willing western states for the benefit of these western states and for the nation as a whole.”
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