Posted on 02/02/2013 5:35:33 PM PST by george76
Legislation that would move the ownership and management of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in New Mexico to the state has been introduced at the Roundhouse.
The Transfer of Public Lands Act is sponsored by Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-Alamogordo, and Sen. Richard C. Martinez, D-Espanola...
Herrell said New Mexico has a rich history of farming, ranching, hunting, fishing and oil drilling.
"In our past we have also had a thriving timber industry that is unfortunately near nonexistent ...
...
A healthy timber industry, managed responsibly by New Mexicans, would not only help our economy by creating a large number of jobs, but it would also help to protect our watersheds and keep our forests as livable habitat for all wildlife. Additionally, by responsibly thinning our overgrown forests, we can help decrease the devastation of wildfires. As it is currently, the federal government has logging restrictions that keep our forests overgrown, creating a hazardous environment. When a fire starts, the overgrowth serves as kindling, creating a massive forest fire that threatens the safety of our homes and communities." Herrell said it is time to put an end to the wildland fire danger.
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five other Western states are looking at similar legislation.
(Excerpt) Read more at ruidosonews.com ...
By not transfering ownership as the legislation requires? That would pretty much nip it in the bud. Only Congress can dispose of federal property.
Easy - they can just threaten to halt the block-payments the state government relies on.
So - does this mean that the Constitutional limitation of the Fed over the States means nothing because all the States need fed monies? I can picture a universe where the powers are balanced out as the Constitution requires and where the States, refusing to go along with all the expensive and regulatory dictates, get along just fine. Might take a while for the balance to be restored, but eventually it would become stable and we'd all be better off. Unless of course we were willing to leave dictators in charge of pogroms that the Feds are supposed to benignly provide.
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