Recent proposals to transfer federal lands to the states, historical movements like the Sagebrush Rebellion to cede lands in the 1970s, and persistent appeals and litigation to oppose federal land agency actions all demonstrate longstanding discontent with federal land management. The rules that govern land management, such as laws, customs and property rights, define managers’ incentives, and incentives drive behavior. Revenue generation, however, is not the goal of federal land management. Despite their revenue maximization goal, states also manage for multiple uses including conservation. Current mechanisms to resolve these conflicting demands for the multiple uses of federal lands and resources are inefficient and costly.

Source: New York Times January 17, 2017 08:22 UTC