Report says transferring federal lands to state would cost billions
In Montana, where land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management comprises 30 million acres — roughly a third of the state — the notion of turning swaths of terra firma to state control could be costly, according to a newly published report.
The report, written by longtime natural resources manager John Tubbs, calls the financial implications of federal lands transfer “staggering and disproportionately impactful for a rural state with large swaths of national public lands.”
“The costs associated with maintaining national public lands at the state level — ranging from wildfire operations to the loss of essential federal funding for rural counties — would be far too great for Montana to bear per capita,” the report states. It amounts to an $8 billion “gamble on Montana’s future.”
Become a Subscriber!
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber? Login
