[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 113 (Thursday, July 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           BLM LANDS TRANSFER

                                 ______


                           HON. BARBARA CUBIN

                               of wyoming

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 13, 1995
  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation being 
introduced today by Mr. Hansen of Utah to transfer lands administered 
by the Bureau of Land Management to the States. I appreciate the 
efforts that Mr. Hansen and Senator Thomas of Wyoming have put into 
this legislation and as an original cosponsor of the bill, I will do 
what I can to help move it quickly through the legislative channels.
  In my opinion, this legislation is long overdue. Not since the 
Sagebrush Rebellion has there been such a groundswell of support for 
returning the lands to the States. As the 1994 election results have 
shown, the majority of Americans want to reduce the role of the Federal 
Government and grant the States more flexibility to arrive at localized 
solutions to a host of problems. The better the local understanding, 
the better the decision made by those most affected by a local problem.
  With this legislation, the Western States are asking nothing more 
than to be put on an equal footing with the Eastern States. We want a 
stable tax base and we can and will see to it that our lands are more 
efficiently managed and more beneficially used. That includes 
protecting the scenic beauty of our States while promoting the wise use 
of our natural resources.
  For too long, the Federal Government has forgotten that the Western 
States are its partners. It is time for us to send a clear signal that 
we are tired of the historical Federal dominance that has left the West 
in a state of political and economic decline. This legislation is the 
proper vehicle for examining how to best end Federal ownership of the 
vast areas of the West and return stability to that region of our 
country.


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