Western Governors support efforts to create legislation to speed the exchange of state and federal lands

Western Governors want to improve management of federal and state lands in areas where there is "checker-boarded" ownership or state lands are completely "captive" within the boundaries of a federal management area.

That's why we closely followed Tuesday's (Sept. 10) oversight hearing “School Trust Lands Ownership within Federal Conservation Areas” before the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.

Kathy Opp, president of the Western States Land Commissioners Association (WSCLA), asked the House panel to develop legislation to speed the exchange of state and federal lands. It's a big issue, said Opp, who noted WSLCA member states manage more than 447 million acres of public and endowed trust lands, submerged lands and minerals.

Western Governors recently adopted a policy resolution, Federal-State Land Exchanges and Purchases, that seeks a similar improvment in the land exchange process. (Read the resolution.)

As to next steps in this process, a story by E&E News writer Phil Taylor reported:

Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, the subcommittee's ranking Democrat, said the WSLCA proposal could garner support from conservation groups and the federal government as long as the details are worked out.

"We have to ensure land exchanges are transparent and open following established federal standards and not taking unnecessary shortcuts" Grijalva said. "Environmental review and protected endangered species cannot be tossed out with the bath water."

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