Public Lands

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When committee assignments were being made, I specifically requested a position on the House Natural Resources Committee. I am committed to helping Congress strike a balance for wise management of our public lands and resources. Protecting private property rights and state sovereignty and preserving our western heritage are among my chief priorities on the committee.  I will also fight to protect the livelihoods of public land users while ensuring that we are responsible stewards of our natural resources.  I am confident that the principles of multiple-use and protecting our environment can go hand-in-hand. To this, I have brought together several key state and national stakeholder groups, the Utah Congressional Delegation, Utah Governor Herbert and Lt. Governor Cox, as well as state and local leaders to establish a framework for a better and more collaborative process that will give greater certainty to the way public lands are manged and used. To read more about the Public Lands Initiative, click here.
RED AREAS INDICATE ALL FEDERAL LAND IN U.S.

Quick Facts:
- The federal government owns roughly 660 million acres in the United States.
- Nearly 1 out of every 3 acres in the U.S. (29%) is owned and controlled by the federal government
- In the West, 1 out of every 2 acres is owned by the federal government.
- Over 90% of all federal land is located in the West


TOPICS:

Utah Public Lands Initiative: to build consensus among stakeholders in eastern Utah to
designate lands for conservation and development.

 


Public Lands & Education Funding:  to ensure that public lands states are able to fund education like states that are mostly privately owned.

Legislation:  (H.R. 2852)-The Action Plan for Public Lands & Education (APPLE) Act 

[BILL TEXT] [OVERVIEW] [PRESS RELEASE] [VIDEO] [LEGISLATIVE HEARING]
Map: illustrates education funding shortfall for public lands states as compared to non public lands states [link to map]


Securing Federal Lands Along the Border: to give the United States Border Patrol access to off-limit federal lands that are among the most heavily trafficked.

Legislation:  (H.R. 2398)- The National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act

[BILL TEXT] [OVERVIEW & FACT SHEET] [PRESS RELEASE] [VIDEO

GRAPHICS: [map of federal lands on southern border] [ # of illegal entries on southern border sector] [trash left in wilderness by drug smugglers]

Map: illustrates 20.7 million  acres of land found along southern U.S. border  


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