Public Land Grabs Move from States to Congress
February 24, 2016
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Just two weeks after armed militants were ousted from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation to allow states to seize national lands for drilling and logging without federal environmental oversight.
Earlier this month, the Wyoming Sportsmen's Alliance and conservation groups convinced state lawmakers to shelve similar proposals. Chamois Andersen, executive director of the Wyoming National Wildlife Federation, said western states are on the front lines of a national struggle.
"In Wyoming, we're seeing what's actually happening across the American West," she said, "which is a political movement, an attempt to transfer public lands to state ownership or management."
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee will hear the new bills on Thursday. HR 3650 would allow any state to claim ownership of up to 2 million acres of national forests, roughly the size of Yellowstone National Park. A second bill, HR 2316, would allow states to seize 4 million acres of national forests for clear-cut logging ...
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-02-24/public-lands-wilderness/public-land-grabs-move-from-states-to-congress/a50536-1