Utah, other Western states ask Supreme Court to return millions of acres of land back to the states

This has been a very contentious issue for a long time! The federal government owns too much land!

Trump is not yet in office, but e.g. calls for more federalism is already moving forward!

Additionally, the administration of the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President worsened the situation restricting land use for environmental reasons.

"... In August, Utah filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that it’s unconstitutional for the feds to retain unappropriated land in a state indefinitely.

Since the lawsuit was filed, a dozen other states, including Idaho, Alaska and Wyoming, have filed briefs asking the court to hear the case. Additionally, a coalition of counties in Arizona and New Mexico, the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Utah Legislature and the Wyoming Legislature have also filed briefs in support of the lawsuit. ...

The lawsuit only applies to unappropriated lands, which are those the federal government holds without any clear congressional designation. As a result, the lawsuit won’t impact national parks, forest lands, monuments or tribal lands. ...

In Utah, the federal government controls nearly 70% of the state’s total land area, which is second only to Nevada, which has nearly 85% of its land in federal control. Of the 22.8 million acres in Utah controlled by the BLM, 18.5 million acres are “unappropriated.”

While the federal government disposed of much of the land it controlled in the East, the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed certain citizens to claim land in the U.S. territories of the West, so long as they lived and cultivated the land. Similar laws were passed in the years that followed in order to encourage more people to move out West.   ...

The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was the BLM’s Public Lands Rule. The rule created “restoration leases” or “mitigation leases.” These work just like oil and gas or cattle grazing leases, except the “use” of the land would be to conserve it, which typically means erasing or eliminating human impact on the untouched landscape. ...

Another factor likely motivating Utah’s decision to file the lawsuit now is the Supreme Court decision in June that shot down the 1984 doctrine known as "Chevron deference," which allows federal agencies broad latitude in interpreting laws when Congress hasn’t provided specific guidelines. ...

The Department of the Interior under the Biden administration had made a number of decisions limiting oil and gas production, as well as mining opportunities. Against Utah’s wishes, The BLM closed over 317 miles of popular roads and trails, an action the State of Utah says impacts recreational activities and local businesses that rely on tourism. The BLM is also considering future restrictions. ..."

Utah, other Western states ask Supreme Court to return millions of acres of land back to the states | Just The News "“The federal burden in the West infringes on our sovereignty and undermines our equality with other States, all in direct violation of the Constitution,” Rep. Harriet Hagemen, R-Wyo., said."

Dubai Husband Purchases $50 Million Island for Wife's Bikini Privacy

For some individuals this is pocket change and it buys some fame!

Who’s Buying Nebraska? After shopping spree, Mormon church is top land purchaser

What are the Mormons up to? Or is Nebraska such a backwater that a few land purchases by the Mormons make a splash?

"... Farmland Reserve Inc., a nonprofit owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, has been quietly buying up ranch land in Nebraska’s Sandhills for the past three decades.

The Garden County shopping spree, coupled with more buys in four neighboring counties, made the church Nebraska’s top single buyer of land in the past five years. 

The church bought a whopping 57,500 acres – double the amount of the second largest buyer– between 2018 and 2022, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis of data gathered by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications data journalism class. ..."

Who’s Buying Nebraska? After shopping spree, Mormon church is top land purchaser - Flatwater Free Press In the past five years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought twice as much Nebraska land as the second biggest buyer. If they keep it up, they’ll soon own more than anyone.

Credits: Salt Lake Tribune Mormon Land

U.S. Government Owns Too Much Land!

Socialism Is Alive In The USA

Not only is the healthcare sector totally dominated by the federal government even before ObamaCare, the feds also own considerable amounts of land.

Recently, I read that the federal government still keeps buying or acquiring significant amounts of land.

In this blog post, I focus only on land owned by the federal government with the exception of Arizona.

Facts & Figures

The National Park Service (NPS) owns a total of 84,000 acres of land. This translates almost into the size of Germany or the size of 1.7 times the average size of any of the 50 states.

Now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns a total of 260,000 acres of land. This represents about 3 times the size of Germany or 5.4 times the average size of any of the 50 states. This is clearly way too much! When is the federal government finally going to sell some of it to reduce the federal debt?

Situation In Arizona

According to the “State Land Department Annual Report” of 2012 (most recent), the federal government owns a whopping 42% of Arizona’s land. The state government’s land trust owns 13%. Thus, government owned land in this state alone is 55%. Private owned land is only 17%. Indian trusts make up 28%.