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The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Utah Republican proposes sale of more than 2 million acres of US lands
More than 2 million acres of federal lands would be sold to states or other entities under a budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, reviving a longtime ambition of Western conservatives to cede lands to local control after a similar proposal failed in the House. Lee, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, included a mandate for the sales in a draft provision of the GOP's sweeping tax cut package released Wednesday. Sharp disagreement over such sales has laid bare a split among Republicans who support wholesale transfers of federal property to spur development and generate revenue, and other lawmakers who are staunchly opposed. Land in 11 Western states from Alaska to New Mexico would be eligible for sale. Montana was carved out of the proposal after lawmakers there objected. A spokesperson for Montana Sen. Steve Daines said Thursday that he is 'against the sale of public lands but glad to see Montana exempted.' Sen. Martin Heinrich, the ranking Democrat on the energy committee, said the proposal would exclude people from places where they fish, hunt and camp. 'I don't think it's clear that we would even get substantial housing as a result of this,' Heinrich said. 'What I know would happen is people would lose access to places they know and care about and that drive our Western economies.' Most public lands are in Western states. In some, such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth. Lee's proposal does not specify what properties would be sold. It directs the secretaries of interior and agriculture to sell or transfer at least 0.5% and up to 0.75% of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management holdings. That equals at least 2.1 million acres (868,000 hectares) and up to 3.2 million acres (1.3 million hectares). The Republican said in a video released by his office that the sales would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. They would instead target 'isolated parcels" that could be used for housing or infrastructure, he said. 'Washington has proven time and again it can't manage this land. This bill puts it in better hands,' Lee said. Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, who served as interior secretary in President Donald Trump's first term and led the effort to strip land sales out of the House version, said he remained a 'hard no' on any legislation that includes large-scale sales. States or other entities would nominate potential parcels. Before carrying out sales, federal officials would have to consult with governors, local officials and any impacted Native American tribes. Conservation groups reacted with outrage, saying it would set a precedent to fast-track the handover of cherished lands to developers. "Shoving the sale of public lands back into the budget reconciliation bill, all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, is a betrayal of future generations and folks on both sides of the aisle," said Michael Carroll with The Wilderness Society. Housing advocates have cautioned that federal land is not universally suitable for affordable housing. Some of the parcels up for sale in Utah and Nevada under the House proposal were far from developed areas. Last year Republican officials in Utah filed a lawsuit seeking to take over huge swaths of federal land in the state, but they were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Twelve other states backed Utah's bid.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elections to lead new Weber County city draw 37 mayoral, city council hopefuls
EDEN, Weber County — As the new city materializing in the Ogden Valley takes shape, there's no lack of interest in leading the locale. The filing period to run for mayor or one of five city council seats that will serve the new city ended last Friday, and a total of 37 people have stepped forward to run for the six leadership posts. Four mayoral candidates have emerged: Janet Wampler, Kyle Reeder, Andrew Newton and Shanna Francis. 'It's an indication that this community is eager to get on with being its own municipality,' said Nick Dahlkamp, who helped with initial organizing efforts that led to last November's vote to create the city. 'This just again exemplifies how important people feel that they want to take control of their destiny and are eager to get on with it.' Apart from the four mayoral hopefuls, the District 1 and 5 City Council races have drawn five candidates each, the District 2 contest has seven candidates and the District 3 and 4 races have eight hopefuls each. Dahlkamp said the numbers exceeded his expectations. The Ogden Valley city, to be officially named by the slate of leaders who win, covers an expansive area around Pineview Reservoir on the eastern side of the Wasatch Mountains, east of Weber County's population cluster around Ogden. It's a picturesque zone, home to three ski resorts, and boosters of incorporation touted becoming a city as a means of maintaining local control as growth pressures mount. An estimated 7,600 people live within the planned city's boundaries. The long list of candidates will be whittled to two in each contest in primary voting, which culminates on Aug. 12. The winners will be selected in general election balloting, which ends on Nov. 4. Those victors will be sworn in on Jan. 5 next year, when the city formally comes into being, according to Ogden Valley Inc., the organization that promoted incorporation. While campaigning has yet to begin in earnest, the filing paperwork offers some information about the candidates. In the mayoral race, Wampler's filing says she serves as chairwoman of the Ogden Valley Planning Commission, which serves as an advisory body to Weber County commissioners on planning issues in the Ogden Valley. The Weber County Commission is the ruling body that now governs the unincorporated area, pending installation of the newly elected leaders next January. She also serves the Community Foundation of Ogden Valley, a nonprofit group that raises funds for other nonprofits serving the area. Reeder is an attorney 'specializing in business transactions and commercial litigation,' reads his filing. Newton is owner of two small businesses, Composet Products and Proformance Services, and served in a volunteer post with the Pineview West Water Co., a provider of secondary water, according to the Utah Division of Water Rights. Francis is the owner and operator of the Ogden Valley News, a newspaper serving the Ogden Valley. She was also one of the six original sponsors who pursued incorporation of the Ogden Valley. Separately, incorporation proponents have been working with the public to plan for the transition to incorporation. Some 180 people have stepped forward to assist with things like budget preparation, creating an organizational structure for the city and crafting of zoning ordinances and other codes, according to Kay Hoogland, who's helping with transitional efforts and also running for a city council seat. She called the volunteers 'the advance team' for the eventual winners in elections and said the many candidates will be invited to take part in the efforts. While the Ogden Valley locale will be the newest Utah city, a new town is taking shape in Utah County, Spring Lake, which sits between Payson and Santaquin and is home to around 600 people. Residents there last year also voted to become a new locale and will pick leaders in this year's election cycle. Wade Menlove is the sole mayoral candidate, according to Utah County election officials. Seven hopefuls are running for two four-year town council posts, and seven are running for two two-year town council seats.
