New Mexico bill calls for study of controlling federal land

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

New Mexico bill calls for study of controlling federal land
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press February 11, 2015 Updated 24 minutes ago

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — As lawmakers across the West question the federal government's ability to manage public lands under its care, New Mexico has taken the first step toward a study of the feasibility of the state assuming control of millions of acres.

Legislation that would establish a commission to study the issue cleared a New Mexico House panel Wednesday on a 9-1 vote, with only one of five Democrats on the committee voting in opposition.

The vote marks the first time in three years that any federal land transfer measure has made it passed its first legislative hurdle in New Mexico.

The dynamics have changed since Republicans assumed control of the House, and disputes over property and water rights on federal forest land in rural areas have helped drive the debate over the past year.

Most of the lawmakers on the committee that took up the legislation Wednesday are from rural areas.


Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/02/11/4548031_new-mexico-bill-calls-for-study.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

[jwirr]

1. What is the alterntive. That land belongs to we the people and if our government is not going to

manage it who is? This sounds like a bundy corporation issue that they are trying to get passed. They can do the study but the fact that the government is merely a representative of the people who actually own this property in common better be a part of it.

[aggiesal]

2. This is our tax breaks at work ...

The Republican Congress cuts the budget to BLM,
BLM has to let go of personnel, and they can no longer
manage the land properly.

This is the Republican plan;
Make government small enough to drown it in the bathtub.

They're well on their way.

[duhneece]

5. Not according to the Bundy-types

...which include 14 states, now, members of the American Land Council...and my entire county commission and NM State Rep AND US Rep Steve Pearce.

From the lawsuit, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF THE COUNTY OF OTERO and
STATE OF NEW MEXICO,

...44. The Chairman of the Otero County Commission, Commissioner Rardin, has
repeatedly asserted to Forest Service officials that Otero County is not accountable under the
NEPA, the ESA, NFMA, or other federal laws, regulations, or policies governing the
implementation of projects on National Forest System lands. ...
45. Otero County officials have also claimed that Otero County owns all of the
National Forest System lands in Otero County....

We DUers may think they are bug-effing crazy, but they have power and are gaining more and more with ALEC's help every day here.

[ND-Dem]

8. the plan is to get it in state hands to make it easier to sell it off the the private sector. you

won't hold it, in common or at all.

[Panich52]

3. Just another anti-reg ploy.

Sounds like stealth plan to regain control of lands -- then extraction industries can be given access. Utah is at least open about it. (SUWA is fightibg against the plans.)

[Lodestar]

4. Been trying to figure a way to do this for over a decade. This is one of those issues that will

require an army of grassroots to push back or we will certainly lose it to corporate interests.
Remember when Bushco considered public "auctions" for fed. land? They are dividing up the spoils....

[freshwest]

6. Yes, their cronies are drooling over getting that acreage to build new fiefdoms.

[burrowowl]

7. Damn scary!

Damn them and the idiots that voted for Gov. Martinez and the Repuks!

[newfie11]

9. This needs to stay federal land

We need the wild places. I live surrounded by the Black Hills National Forest.
If this was state land I guarantee little by little it would be sold to the highest bidder.

Hell, SD is taking land back that is part of Indian Rez.

No leave things as they are!

[Dont call me Shirley]

10. Privatization marches on. The Neo-Feudal Global Project marches on.

[Cryptoad]

11. Way tooo much federal land

not being raped by corps......!