By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The American Lands Council thinks that federal ownership of public lands should be transferred to the states.
Kane County Commissioner Doug Heaton, representing the American Lands Council, told Juab County Commissioners that it was important to remain a member of the council.
He presented a power point to the commission showing several visual maps and outlining the key points of the organization.
"At statehood, the federal government promised all newly created states that it would transfer title to our public lands," said Heaton.
However, many states were up to 90 percent federally controlled until they compelled Congress to honor their statehood promise, he said.
"The transfer of public lands is the only solution big enough to fund education, take better care of the environment, grow the economy and attain energy independence," he said. "We can't afford not to."
All of the other problems have been narrowed to one solution, he said.
"That solution is to transfer public lands from federal to state jurisdiction," said Heaton.
Heaton said that there was an article in one of the prominent eastern publications recently, which suggested a solution to the Bundy situation and other similar situations across the west. The answer, it said, is to purchase the leases, thus preserving the integrity of the rancher's vested interest. The ranchers would be justly compensated for the loss of their claims and the grazing leases could be retired to make way for the preservation of whatever the new owner chose to preserve.
In fact, there is a significant effort to do just that. Federal law provides for $900 million to be set aside each year for the federal government to acquire new property.
"The net effect of this proposal is this—Let's tax the people and then use their money, which we have extracted from them, to purchase their property," Heaton said.
He said that, in reality, everything needed to sustain human life comes first from the earth.
Remove man's ability to extract those raw materials and not only do our treasured possessions go away, but life as we know it ceases. That being the case, whoever or whatever controls the natural resources controls everything and everybody. The owner of the natural resources becomes "The King;" and the natural resources become "the King's forest."
"The essence of liberty is the right of property," he said.
The Founders called it "the pursuit of happiness." Gaining control of that access has been the goal of would be tyrants since the beginning of time. That is why the Founders took such great pains to prioritize and protect property rights. That is why the government they founded was limited in perpetual property ownership to "ten miles square," which was to become the seat of government, together with that which might be granted by the states for very specific named purposes. They knew from their study of human history that as soon as government took control of the natural resources, that government had control also of their lives.
"So why does the federal government hold title to more than 50 percent of the 11 western states?" he asked.
The answer lies in the history of our founding. If you are interested in that history, may I suggest you watch the video of the American Lands Council Presentation in Wayne County. Go to www.youtube and put in Doug Heaton presents Transfer of Public Lands
Heaton made a pitch for continuing membership to Juab County Commissioners. The county has been a member in the past.
Membership in the American Lands Council costs $5,000 in order to be a silver member. There are also gold and bronze members and individual members.
All financial information concerning the Land's Council is available upon request. Ivory is paid but the others, like himself, are doing the work on "our own dime."
He said that there was power in joining with other counties and organizations to educate.
"People on both sides of the isle support this movement," said Heaton. "Federal legislators are lining up and Mike Lee is one of those."
He said he expected to see legislation in the House before the end of the year.
Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory, heads the American Lands Council, and, said Heaton, in an April 23 online debate sponsored by The Salt Lake Tribune, asked if people were aware of how much land the federal government owns?
A 2012 Congressional Research Survey said the federal government owns about 640 million acres, or 28 percent of the nation's land mass. Roughly 90 percent of that property is in the West.
Put another way, one out of every two acres in the West is federally owned. In Nevada, the figure is 81.1 percent; in Alaska, 61.8 percent; in Utah, 66.5 percent; in Oregon, 53 percent. In Connecticut and Iowa, the federal government owns 0.3 percent of the land.
The federal estate is larger than France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom combined. Heaton said that the Founding Fathers never intended the land to be preserved as one big park.
"Our biggest obstacle is education," said Heaton.
Heaton said that, if the point comes where litigation is needed, that would fall upon the state and not upon individual counties.
"You have the ability to control your own contribution," said Heaton.
He said that the governor was very supportive of the American Lands Council and the push to transfer lands.
