When I contacted my Congressman (Mike Simpson) about the public land issues... this was the letter I got in response:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Idaho's public lands. I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond.
Nearly two-thirds of the state of Idaho is federal land, which means that land management decisions made by federal agencies have a direct impact on our state’s economy and the lives of Idahoans who live, work, and recreate on or near federal lands. I think it is helpful to understand the history of federal land ownership and current policies in place regarding the disposal of federal lands.
In the 1960’s, Congress’s public land policy began to shift away from disposing of land and toward retaining it. In 1976, Congress passed the FLPMA which declared that retaining public lands in federal ownership was the policy of the United States. Although many western states and local governments reacted to this new policy by trying to claim federal land for the states or force the federal government to dispose of its lands, Courts have continually upheld the federal government’s constitutional right to retain ownership of federal lands.
Recognizing these costs and the fact that states, counties, and individuals have repeatedly been unsuccessful at attempting to assert authority over federal lands, I have worked throughout my time in Congress to ensure that federal land management agencies are good neighbors. For example, I have consistently supported full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, through which the federal government compensates local governments for the loss of tax income due to the presence of federal land in their state or county. The PILT program is critical to communities throughout Idaho. I am also a strong supporter of funding the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which was passed in 2000 to provide an alternative source of education funding for counties with a high percentage of national forests or federal land.
In addition, as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for federal land management agencies like the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service, I am constantly encouraging these agencies to work with state and local officials and private individuals when making land management decisions in Idaho. I strongly believe that Idahoans should have a say in how the land on which they work and live is managed, and I will continue to advocate for a strong partnership between federal, state, and local land management agencies.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me about this issue. As your representative in Congress, it is important to me to know your thoughts and opinions about issues affecting our nation today. I also encourage you to visit my website,
https://simpson.house.gov, to sign up for my e-newsletter and to read more about my views on a variety of issues.
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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) is the only one of the bill’s sponsors from a state that borders Mexico or Canada. The rest are John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both from Wyoming, Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn, Mississippi’s Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Florida’s Rick Scott.
