Political Quotes

“For years, States could enter into cooperative agreements with Federal land management agencies to aid in reducing the excess fuel load that makes fires in the West so damaging to people, property, and wildlife. H.R. 1450 fully extends the same authority and access to revenue that States have to counties and Tribes. Some States, primarily in the Western U.S., have large percentages of their land controlled by the Federal Government. In my home State of Idaho, for example, it is 62 percent. As a result, citizens in my State must generate enough economic growth to sustain our needs from just the resources contained within the available land remaining. One can argue that Idahoans and citizens from other States with a similar dynamic are merely tenants of their Federal landlord. {time} 1700 Counties and Tribes face a microcosm of that challenge within the States they reside. There are counties in my district, like Idaho around Owyhee, for example, where the Federal Government controls more than 83 percent of the land within their borders. Without ready access to the natural resources and related tax revenue in these areas, it is difficult for residents and local municipalities to create wealth and provide the ingredients necessary to raise families and grow businesses. This bill would enable access to resources.…”