To: The Utah State House, The Utah State Senate, and Governor Gary R. Herbert
Utah Lawmakers: Stop Plans to Drain Our Resources for Land Grab Lawsuit
Stop the proposed long-term drain of our tax dollars to sue the Federal Gov't for ownership & control of all federal lands within Utah's borders. The lawsuit required by HB 148 would take decades to litigate as it would require changing our state and our federal constitutions; all the while eroding our public services, safety nets, & our kids' education!
Why is this important?
The Transfer of Public Lands Act (HB 148) demands title to 30 million acres of federal land, and the filing of 22 lawsuits claiming highway rights-of-way for thousands of miles of dirt routes, including some in our national parks. Our national forests, the redrock deserts and canyons surrounding our national parks, and even Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, would be managed to maximize short-term revenues. If the state prevails in its rights-of-way claims, our national parks, wild lands, and other scenic treasures would be degraded as existing protections are nullified or diminished. These initiatives will cost millions of dollars, harm our rural tourism economies, and not produce any lasting benefits for education or our children.