[P-Marlowe]

Most of the Midwest was just given to the American people. It was settled by homesteaders. It is now land in the various States. Why don’t they do that with the west? Why has the Federal government continued to control most of the land west of the Rockies?

[snarkpup]

Most of the Midwest was just given to the American people. It was settled by homesteaders. It is now land in the various States. Why don't they do that with the west? Why has the Federal government continued to control most of the land west of the Rockies?

Some history: In the Midwest, the land was immediately useful for farming, so there was an immediate demand for private ownership. In the arid West, there was no obvious (at the time) use for these lands, so the fed just kept them. They did not forsee the current uses that are now creating demands for this land (recreation, hunting, oil & gas, irrigated agriculture, etc.)

[MarMema]

http://agenda21news.com/2014/09/background-wildlands-project/

[JohnBovenmyer]

Read excellent background on why the Feds still control most of the west here. This apparently was a big issue during the 1800s which stalled out. It should be revisited. If the states can manage swamps in Florida and mountains in Appalachia they can managed deserts and mountains in the West. The true challenge is to sell them off and apply the proceeds to the pay down the national debt rather than pay for additional social spending. We may want to fix the latter dynamic before fixing the former.