GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/19/bureau-land-management-federal-lease
In a single line of changes to the rules for the House of Representatives, Republicans have overwritten the value of federal lands, easing the path to disposing of federal property even if doing so loses money for the government and provides no demonstrable compensation to American citizens.
At stake are areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Forests and Federal Wildlife Refuges, which contribute to an estimated $646bn in economic stimulus from recreation on federal lands and 6.1m jobs. Transferring these lands to the states, critics fear, could decimate those numbers by eliminating mixed-use requirements, limiting public access and turning over large portions for energy or property development.
According to the Outdoor Alliance, US public land is the government’s second largest source of income after taxes. In addition to economic stimulus in outdoor activities, federal land also creates revenue through oil and gas production, logging and other industrial uses. According to the BLM, in 2016, it made $2bn in royalty revenue from federal leases.
Ignoring those figures, the new language for the House budget, authored by Utah Republican representative Rob Bishop, who has a history of fighting to transfer public land to the states, says that federal land is effectively worthless. Transferring public land to “state, local government or tribal entity shall not be considered as providing new budget authority, decreasing revenues, increasing mandatory spending or increasing outlays.”
Essentially, the revised budget rules deny that federal land has any value at all, allowing the new Congress to sidestep requirements that a bill giving away a piece of federal land does not decrease federal revenue or contribute to the federal debt.
Republican eagerness to cede federal land to local governments for possible sale, mining or development is already moving states to act. Western states, where most federal land is concentrated, are already introducing legislation that pave the way for land transfers.
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So, Congress is planning on giving up billions in revenue (and American Citizens' property) so that oil companies can buy up Federal land through individual states.
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue
This country, little by little, is going to $hit.
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue
Sad but not surprised. This was on my list of fears.
I was surprised to read recently that mining already occurs in small areas of protected lands and there are fears it will become much more widespread after Obama leaves office. I didn't see this coming though. Insane to me that they want to make this land appear nearly worthless.
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mrsrainbow
LIF Adult
Member since 1/17 1465 total posts
Name:
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Re: Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue
Posted by MrsT809
Sad but not surprised. This was on my list of fears.
I was surprised to read recently that mining already occurs in small areas of protected lands and there are fears it will become much more widespread after Obama leaves office. I didn't see this coming though. Insane to me that they want to make this land appear nearly worthless.
Exactly - appear.
Just another way for big business to profit. No doubt there will be huge tax breaks for those that do. Is nothing in this country sacred? Are we gonna have "Verizon Hoover Dam" now? "Firestone Tires National Park"? "Papa Johns Grand Canyon"?
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MC09
arrrghhh!!!!
Member since 2/09 5674 total posts
Name:
Me speaks pirate!
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Re: Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot... Seems like a fitting mantra for the rest of this administration. #MAGA
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