Interior Proposes Selling 10 Million Acres Of Public Land

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON - "As much as 10 million acres of public land - including tens of thousands of acres in Utah - could be sold off by the Bush administration in an effort to unload parcels the government cannot maintain and to generate money for environmental projects.

But environmental groups say the proposal, sent to congressional leaders Monday, would encourage the government to sell off federal land and called it a throwback to the policies of James Watt, the vilified Interior Secretary under President Reagan. "It's the wrong way to make decisions about these great assets and it is perverting the decision-making process," said Johanna Wald, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Assistant Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett spelled out a series of changes to a 2000 law that granted the department permission to sell unwanted land. The revisions would give the department flexibility in how to spend the proceeds of the land sales and extend the life of the legislation.

EDIT

The Interior Department's new legislative proposal would significantly expand the amount on the auction block, adding acreage deemed expendable in 50 ongoing land-use plans and any assessments finished before 2015. Initial estimates are that the proposal could affect as much as 10 million acres. It also permits 20 cents of every $1 raised by the land to be spent on "conservation enhancement projects," such as wildlife habitat conservation and riparian restoration."

EDIT

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2386363

[phantom power]

1. "Cannot maintain".... riiiiiiight.

Imagine that, it's going down just like we predicted. They undermine the parks system, and then claim "Hey! we just can't maintain these parks, we've got to start privatizing!"

I've got a radical idea: what if we spent a little money on them? But then our taxes might go up a few cents a year, and lord knows we can't have that.

[Kolesar]

2. The best leverage we have on this gov is the outdoor equip dealers

The camping, hiking, anglers, etc threatened to pull their show out of Salt Lake City if the State Gov't did not change their policy on a similar issue. Maybe now is the time to try it on a national level.

[sunnbury]

3. Just the facts please

The article states that the Clinton administration authorized 3.3 million acres of public ground be sold off. This article says that 10 million acres could be sold off. Not would be. The Interior Dept recommended this in 2000 from a legislative bill that was passed previously.
So, This could be seen as a possible increase of less than 1% of the Clinton administration initiative

[cprise]

4. You know what I think of Clinton?

Whore.

Bandying about his name like that in defense of privatizing wilderness is one sure way to stink up a place.

[durrante]

5. I also read the entire article

it just says something not conveyed by the title or opening paragraph, or the following posts.