[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     ESTABLISHING MORE EQUITABLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE FEDERAL 
           GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC LANDS STATES OF THE WEST

                                 ______


                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 7, 1995
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, the leadership of the 104th 
Congress is seeking to establish more equitable relationships between 
the Federal Government and the public lands States of the West. Before 
last November, Washington saw a resurgence of the misguided idea that 
central government control over the public domain must be expanded. The 
new congressional majority believes it is time to downsize the Federal 
bureaucracy, shift public lands to governments closer to the people, 
and recognize the role that the public lands in the West play in 
putting people back to work.
  Many Western States have also been told that the national interest 
demands that State and local concerns be accorded second-class status. 
In my State of Alaska, over half of our public lands were designated 
parks, wilderness areas, and refuges in the name of the national 
interest without any form of consideration in return. There are indeed 
times when the interests of the country compel action, but the 
interests and concerns of States and local governments must be 
recognized and addressed in such cases. Our public policy will be that 
there can be no unilateral action by the Federal Government without 
special consideration being afforded by the affected State and local 
governments.
  The controversial matter of nuclear waste storage offers an 
opportunity to implement this principle. A series of administrations 
and Congresses has deliberated and decided to proceed with waste 
storage facilities on public lands in Nevada. Unfortunately this 
Federal action has not been matched by the special consideration that 
the governments and people of Nevada, or any other similarly situated 
public lands State, deserve. I am considering an amendment to pending 
nuclear waste legislation to provide appropriate special consideration 
to Nevada and affected county governments.
  This amendment would provide to the State and the affected counties a 
combination of specific parcels of valuable land as well as an 
entitlement to select from a pool of public lands. These lands would be 
provided to offset the withdrawal of multiple use public lands for 
waste storage and related purposes and to afford special consideration. 
Some lands would be immediately available and others would be eligible 
for selection and transfer as the waste storage project proceeds.
  We welcome comments on this general proposal and are open to specific 
suggestions on how to make it address the needs in Nevada.
  It is time to redress the balance in public lands policy between the 
Federal Government and affected States and local governments. I look 
forward to working with the elected representatives in Nevada in 
applying this important principle to the waste storage issue.


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