Public Lands Held In Trust
You see, the public lands question is older than our nation. By 1780, in the midst of battling for independence, the 13 States had run completely out of money. In this dire circumstance, seven States pledged in trust to the United States the claims they held over all the western lands, but only to (1) create "distinct republican states" with "the same rights of sovereignty, freedom and independence as the other states," and (2) use the proceeds from the sale of these western lands, if any, to pay the debts from the Revolution. Courts, congresses, presidents, and the language of the statehood enabling acts of all newly created states reaffirmed these "solemn compacts," but for which our nation may have perished at its birth.
String of Broken Congressional "Promises"
However, in 1976, Congress enacted a policy to unilaterally alter this 200-year-old obligation, moving to retain forever the public lands in federal ownership, with the Federal Lands Policy Management Act, or FLPMA. Under FLPMA, Congress promised there would be multiple use, sustained yield, with local planning on the public lands. Congress also promised to pay western states and communities for not utilizing their lands and resources to fund the education of their own children and care for their own communities. This "promise" is known as PILT. PILT payments by some estimates were only 13 cents on the dollar of the average taxable value of the land.
FLPMA imposed an untenable "deal" upon the western states to be paid paltry amounts for not utilizing their own lands and resources. Now, under the guise of cutting federal expense, Congress is cutting western revenues in the form of PILT.
So, Congress breaks its 200-year-old obligation to dispose of the public lands. Instead, it "promises" PILT concessions, and multiple use, sustained yield with local planning to placate western states. Now, it is reneging on even this dreadful, substitute "promises," while imposing ever-increasing restrictions on states, communities, businesses and individuals from utilizing their own lands and resources to care for their own communities, lands and forests, and grow the national economy in the process.
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| Sen. Lee on the Broken Promises of Congress: PILT and TPL |
"Don't Be Fooled Again!"
Some in Congress are "promising" that they will include PILT funding in the much beleaguered Farm Bill to be re-considered in coming months. At what point do we stop relying on failed, inadequate promises from Congress and start working together to simply enforce the original "solemn compact" of our statehood?
With this stark example of the familiar adage "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!" right before our eyes in this present PILT fiasco, isn't is time that "
we won't be fooled again" (The Who) and mobilizethe knowledge and courage throughout our states to compel Congress to simply honor the same statehood promise to transfer title to the public lands that it already honored with all states east of Colorado?
The Only Solution Big Enough
It is time for Congress to honor the same promise that was made to all western states, just as it did for Hawaii and all states east of Colorado. Transfer our public lands.
The states must control their own public lands. Only then will we be free to properly provide for the health, safety and welfare of our citizens at the most local level, increasing economic activity locally and nationally.
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