Managing federal lands would cost Montana dearly

PUBLIC LANDS — Montana Republican lawmakers looking for votes are frittering away time and money following Idaho’s lead in trying to lead the state into a takeover of federal public lands, such as national forests, Bureau of Land Management areas and national wildlife refuges.

• See the latest on Idaho’s federal land-grab road show .

The arguments against this crap include the fact that the states don’t have the money to do it, thus they’d have to sell off the lands or turn them over to private interests.

That’s not in the public interest.

Cost of Montana’s management of federal lands estimated at $500 million
Should Montana assume responsibility for the estimated 25 million acres of federal lands that lie within its borders, and while state lands managers are working on what they believe such a transfer of control would cost, the Billings Gazette takes a stab at the computation and comes up with half a billion dollars. This is just one installment in a three-day series by Montana newspapers on the state’s proposal to assume control of federal lands.

Also see:

Recreating on the national forest

Ranchers cautions about state takeover of federal land

Recreationists conflicted about federal land transfer

Author: Montanans value outdoor amenities

Editorial: Let’s stick together to protect Montana’s best wildlands