Western states, where most federal land is concentrated, are already introducing legislation that pave the way for land transfers. In 2012, Arizona voters struck down two pieces of legislation that would have turned over federal land to the state, including one that claimed the Grand Canyon as state land. “70% of the headwaters of our streams and rivers in the West are on public lands,” he said. President-elect Donald Trump has spoken out against reallocating federal land, but he’s also met with prominent pro-land transfer groups. Nevertheless, bills proposing land transfer will now have an easy route to passage, as they won’t need to be backed by any financial justification.

Source: The Guardian January 19, 2017 14:39 UTC