Bob Schaffer: “Absolutely. Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, as the government buys, for example, wilderness areas, the first thing you do is…”

“Absolutely. Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, as the government buys, for example, wilderness areas, the first thing you do is you take away local control. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) and I have discussed this on a number of issues. The gentleman has a vast district in eastern Colorado, some of the most beautiful, I think, some of the most beautiful plains in the United States. I adjoin him, and I have the western part of the State of Colorado which we think are the most beautiful set of mountains. We share those beautiful mountains with States like Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, but the Rocky Mountain range. There are certain areas there that are owned by the government, and the government should retain the ownership of that. But we must make sure that the concept of multiple use stays in place. We have to be careful because, what else happens, is when the government buys land, they drive up the price for everybody else. It is very hard today to find one's children or my children desire to go out and be a farmer, especially in our areas where the government has driven up the price of land because they are out acquiring the land. We have to encourage good and prudent management of the land, whether it is in the government hands or whether it is in private hands. But I am not sure the answer is always to take it out of private hands and put it into government hands and one is going to end up with better management.…”