[HomerBohn]

All of the Western states must follow Utah's example. The central socialist government needs to be stopped in its land-grabbing policies, which is in direct violation of the Constitution.

There should be NO federal land owned....anywhere. All lands must be returned to the states in which they're located.

[teeman8r]

With the exception of DC. Maryland does not want that cesspool back

[exnavy]

That would include military bases. The branch of service could lease that land cheap, the state would retain control.

[DoodleDawg]

Somehow I don’t think that D.C. is busily planning on the turnover two weeks from now.

[piroque]

There was a war fought over this same issue 150-years ago.

There should be NO federal land owned....anywhere. All lands must be returned to the states in which they're located.

[Popman]

As much as the Obama administration is being taken to court, maybe the Scotus should call a special session to deal with all their lawlessness...

Only half kidding...

[nikos1121]

I think 2/3rds of Idaho is Gov’t owned.

[WayneS]

Congress has the power: "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings

That's it. No mention of vast expanses of land sealed off from "We the People". No mention of "national parks" or "federal lands". Just the power to purchase the required Places to house a very short list of specific items, and needed BUILDINGS. What kind of "needful building" requires 30 million acres of land?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei

There is some authority to *purchase* lands from the states for limited purposes. (Article I, Section 8)

“...and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings.”

An interesting twist, “federal lands” given to Indian tribes are hopelessly muddled. Though claimed to be authorized by Article I, Section 8, which authorizes the government to conduct “commerce” with foreign nations and Indian tribes; it is also claimed that the tribes are “semi-autonomous nations”, whose relations with the federal government are by treaty. And many of these treaties are incomprehensible, and were when they were written.

This is made much worse by the *absence* of federal commercial law, which prevents tribes from inviting non-Indian owned businesses onto “their” reservations.

On top of this mess, there is a mess of “hostile” federal laws, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and the Indian Appropriations Act of 1851.

This ended up with the creation of reservations by the insidious Executive Orders of the presidents. An abomination like the use of “presidential proclamations” to seize state lands on any whim.