Issue Position: Public Lands

Issue Position

Two thirds of the land in the State of Idaho is public land. I believe there is no constitutional basis for the Federal Government to maintain control of these lands, and the high cost of BLM and Forest service management of public lands is due in part to regulatory red tape. These establishment departments are ineffective by the time the regulations are complied with. Decisions are made on the other side of the country, resources are wasted or consumed in bureaucracy, and often there is no money available to be returned to the states.

There is a huge difference between the way the State manages public land in comparison to the Federal Government.

Those who are closest to the land will always be in a better position to care for and manage it. State Land Trusts are cost effective and return more revenue to the states. While federally managed public land will customarily net $.73 per dollar spent, state land trusts net on average $14 per dollar spent.

Land trusts are accountable to the people of their state, while federal departments do not have that level of accountability.

With both constitutionality and cost effectiveness considered, it makes no sense to leave public land under federal control.

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