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Utah Lawmakers launched a new "sagebrush rebellion" during the 2012 session, approving legislation that will attempt to win control of federal land in Utah.

 

Our political insiders are split along partisan lines over whether this is a good idea, with Republicans favoring the effort and Democrats in opposition.

However, the two groups are of one mind that the state's chances of actually winning are very low.

 

Some anonymous comments:

"Utah needs the tax revenue to bring the state's education funding up to the national average. Utah is at the bottom of the list in educational funding. The state should have control of its natural resources."

"Once again we have an example of our legislators extreme views resulting wasting taxpayers money over an issue that will go nowhere. The United States sovereignty was tested during the civil war. Our legislators need to remember the outcome of that war."

"Let's be honest. Everyone but Ken Ivory knows this is a waste of time and money."

"This effort is only worth pursuing to the extent it highlights federal overreach and 10th Amendment issues. Lord help us if we actually get the land. We're not even close to ready."

"There are problems with both the 'take back ALL of our lands' and 'make everything wilderness' positions. Compromise is possible. Compromise would be productive. Protecting and preserving public access to a large amount of our public land to preserve our quality of life is not a "liberal" position. Pretending that this is about better funding schools is not a true conservative position. Allowing development of more resources will not destroy the state. Tilting at windmills is a waste of money."

"Waste of time; we already know that the Republicans will try and sell any newly acquired lands for a tiny amount of money. They're lying when they claim it'll go to fund education."

"If it seriously had a chance, reasonable people in Utah would be up in arms about the consequences of such state control."

"Those lands were never Utah's, they've always belonged to ALL Americans before Utah was even a state. The legislature is just using this as an excuse for their unwillingness to adequately fund education and to pick a fight with the federal government."

"Not only is it a waste of time and money, but it creates tensions between the Federal and State governments that make cooperation on less contentious issues more difficult."

"Admirable objective, wrong strategy."

"Great anti-federal government rallying cry that amounts to no real changes in actual policy, unless it nudges federal land managers to give a little on an issue here or there."

"It would be great to be treated like other States and have our Enacting Clause honored, but the reality is until the Administration in Washington is changed, it's not going to happen. It's a Federal issue, and pursuing it so shows the far right wing that is our Utah Legislature, and their attempts, while genuine, are ultimately futile. It's like Rick Perry threatening to take Texas out of the union two years ago. P.S., I am a conservative Republican."

"If a burglar took more than half your possessions, and you knew who he was, would you just forget it?"

"Why can't this state spend those efforts on improving public education rather than waste money on court cases they cannot win?"

"It is a lot of chest thumping in an election year. I think it would actually be a disappointment to those pushing it if we did get the land back, then they would have to come up with another way they can prove they are tough and 'putting it to the feds'. This issue makes for a great sound bite."

"These guys don't really know what they want. They simply want to make political points with the right wing of the Republican party."

"Their own legal counsel considers the case weak, let alone the courts. Utah's Legislature has misconstrued the state Constitution."

"I personally am not opposed to the State having more control over lands that fall within its boundaries. I would be very worried though if it did happen based on who wants to control these lands and what they would use them for. If there was a well developed plan for such lands that did not just represent energy opportunities etc, but was actually a balanced approach to conservation, use, and environmentalism, I would be in favor of making such arguments for more state control. I frankly have far less confidence and trust in the current interests of the parties in the state making these arguments than I do in the federal government's stewardship over the lands."

"There are short-term advantages, like school funding, but the long-term advantages, as a step to restoring a rational federalism, are even more important."

"This will cost us millions. Plus, why would I want our Utah state leaders controlling this land? They would not be good stewards. This is land owned by all Americans and should stay that way. This is not Utah land. They are using our Federal lands as an excuse as to why they have not funded education over the last 30 years."

"Mitt's dad once pointed out that states rights in the south was just a cover to protect institutionalized racism. Here states rights is again being wrongly invoked to curry favor with the third world industry of oil shale strip mining. How can we trust this generation of Utah leaders to sensitively manage public lands when they so aggressively defended those who spent years vandalizing and robbing priceless HUMAN cultural sites. Imagine what they'll do to the plants and animals."

"Legislators are always looking for some new distraction and this is probably a better way for them to waste time and money than pushing the gold standard, killing feral cats, restricting access to government records, outlawing sex ed, rationalizing ways to under fund education, picking out a state gun or trying to find ways to make immigrant's lives miserable. But it's still a waste of time and money."

"While admittedly a legal long shot, the threat of lawsuits will motivate the conversation and help us re-balance the completely tilted state-federal relationship when it comes to public lands and Utah's disadvantaged education funding mechanisms."

"This is not merely an issue of principle, but is critical to the long-term future of public education and Utah's economic independence."

"A significant portion of of the people of Utah as well as elected officials believe that we at least have to try. It will bring some resolution even if it fails to change anything."

 

Some anonymous comments:

"Every objective analysis reaches the same conclusion - that law is not on the State's side. But we tend to forget that Utah, as the plaintiff, bears the burden of proof. The smartest thing for the Federal government to do is sit back and wait for the State to make its case. Rhetoric aside, the State simply hasn't done that. Moreover, in light of current fiscal constraints, the State has neither the time, money, not staff to proceed with such litigation. The net effect is State hyperbole that reinforces Federal intransigence and makes public land management even more difficult. We're making our situation worse without recognizing it."

"It's politically dead in Washington (Mitt Romney and a Republican Congress will not vote to return millions of acres of land to states across the western U.S.) and it is legally bankrupt."

"IF Romney gets elected, and IF he wants to make this an issue, and IF American people are sympathetic, it could happen. It's a western states issue, and the East coast still considers us sagebrush and hippies."

"The odds will improve if the other western states will wake up and get on board."

"What are the chances of Utah taxpayers footing the bill for millions of dollars for this blowing in the wind, ridiculous idea? 100% This has been debated so many times. Taxpayer to conservatives on the Hill: Use your collective concealed weapons and KILL this idea! We're sick and tired of paying for lawyers to fight this! Just QUIT!"

"The environmental movement has great influence on current federal policy makers so it will be very unlikely that Utah would get title to these lands."

"The influence of developers on our state legislators is enormous. The drive for the state to take the lands is from the developers. If these lands were to fall into the hands of the legislators we would see immediate development and loss of open space for my grandchildren to enjoy."

"Yes, the federal government is facing about a 20 billion dollar maintenance backlog on the lands it currently owns and manages. The state is in a much better fiscal position to manage the lands within its borders."

"Do we still have mostly pristine lands, unlike the states that own their own land? Then yes, the Department of the Interior is a much better manager."

"The legislature is not willing to spend the money needed to properly manage these lands. If they were willing, then Utah could manage the lands very reasonably and responsibly."

"They're probably about the same, except that Utah's third-world economic development strategy hinges on more mining and drilling, and we can expect Utah to not only allow, but actively facilitate, more degradation of natural lands."

"This isn't a fair question. The DOI manages for national interests while the State would manage for State interests. SITLA, which would presumably manage public lands for the State, is statutorily obligated to maximize financial returns for present and future trust beneficiaries; the DOI operates under a multiple-use sustained-yield mandate. Whether one manager would be 'better' than another depends upon what they would be managing for. And whether the State could generate enough revenue to offset management costs is a matter of wild speculation."

"Utah looks out for the near future only. Feds have a much bigger picture."

"Look at the condition of state parks."

"Something of a moot point. Utahns will not pay the taxes that would be required to manage the lands at the level that the Federal government currently does."

"Utah can't even find the money to manage education, where are they going to find money to manage that much land? There is talk in the legislature to turn parks over to private corporations. If they can't manage state parks how can they manage more land?"

"Management, schmanagement. Utah can do fine. That's never been the question. The question is whether or not they will ever get the chance, and it's slim."

"Utah would be in way over its head in trying to manage such a vast array of lands and leases. All it could do is try to sell off as much of the land as possible, and thus destroy one of the great amenities of Western states -- almost unfettered access to acres and acres of public lands. This movement could put and end to hunting, fishing and hiking in Utah. I've been to states with no public lands, and it's hard to do anything outdoors without trespassing."

"Utah can't manage the parks and state land it has."

"These are our lands and our rights."

"Is a school bus yaller? But as long as the lands remain in 'public' ownership, their management will be a political football. One side will always lose and one side will always win. And the winners and losers will change from administration to administration. Private ownership is the only way to produce win-win management policies. All the lands don't have to be privatized, and some restrictions on use remain appropriate, but all other roads (including RS 2477 roads) lead to corruption, favoritism, and misuse."

"This is not just about management, but also about appropriate access. The feds mentality lock it up and throw away the key while the state would focus on appropriate use and access in addition to preservation."

"Utah spends 5 million on state parks management, the Feds spend around 250 million on Fed Park upkeep. But, then, the Legislature is going to sell or lease the land anyway, so, this is just a silly question."

"Mike Noel, John Harja, Kathleen Clark are in first grade when it comes to land and water management, whereas Bob Abbey, David Hayes and Ken Salazar are faculty, they know what they are doing. Some day Utah will learn we are part of the United States, not an island to ourselves."

"The government closest to the people is always the best. We don't need people who have never been to Utah telling us how to manage our land. We will do just fine without big brother."

Respondents include - 

Fred Adams, Stuart Adams, Jess Agraz, Scott Anderson, Patrice Arent, Bruce Baird, Tom Barberi, Heather Barney, Steve Barth, Jeff Bell, Tom Berggren, Mike Bertelsen, Ron Bigelow, Rob Bishop, Laura Black, Jim Bradley, Ralph Brown, Ken Bullock, Chris Bleak, Curt Bramble, Ralph Brown, Aaron Browning, Dave Buhler, Ken Bullock, Ric Cantrell, Maura Carabello, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Kay Christensen, David Clark, Thomas Clay, Peter Corroon, Fred Cox, Lew Cramer, Gene Davis, Richard Davis, Brad Daw, Alan Dayton, Margaret Dayton, Mike Deaver, Brad, Dee, Joseph Demma, John Dougall, Randy Dryer, Donald Dunn, Becky Edwards, Scott Ericson, Jessica Fawson, Janice Fisher, Wendy Fisher, Lorie Fowlke, Ronald Fox, Adam Gardiner, Jordan Garn, Luke Garrott, Dave Gessel, Natalie Gochnour, Robert Grow, Karen Hale, David Hansen, Neil Hansen, Joe Hatch, Jeff Hartley, Deidre Henderson, Lyle Hillyard, Randy Horiuchi, Ben Horsley, Bruce Hough, Scott Howell, Miriam Hyde, Allison Isom, Eric Jergensen, Mike Jerman, Roger Johnson, Michael Jolley, Gordon Jones, Leslie Jones, Kirk Jowers, Brian King, Scott Konopasek, Chris Kyler, Fred Lampropoulos, Douglas Larson, David Litvack, Larry Lunt, Matt Lyon, Ben McAdams, Gayle McKeachnie, JT Martin, Jason Mathis, Karen Mayne, Derek Miller, Rob Miller, Ethan Millard, Brett Millburn, Karen Morgan, Mike Mower, Holly Mullen, Wayne Niederhauser, Mike Noel, Ralph Okerlund, James Olsen, Val Oveson, Scott Parson, Kelly Patterson, Frank Pignanelli, Jason Powers, Joe Pyrah, Mike Reberg, Jill Remington Love, Lauren Richards, Holly Richardson, Robin Riggs, James Roberts, Luz Robles, Ross Romero, Don Savage, Bryan Schott, Jay Seegmiller, Patrick Shea, Randy Shumway, Soren Simonsen, Jeremy Slaughter, Carol Spackman-Moss, Howard Stephenson, Mike Styler, Todd Taylor, Juliette Tennert, Gary Thorup, Kevin Van Tassell, Royce Van Tassel, Michael Waddoups, Chuck Warren, Christine Watkins, LaVarr Webb, Todd Weiler, Alan West, Ted Wilson, Carl Wimmer, Mike Winder, Thomas Wright

Results from the UtahPolicy.com/KSL Insider poll can be heard on KSL Radio every Friday and read on Utah Policy.com every Monday.