Top Democrat Shouldn't Leave Door Open to Land Sales

By Jim DiPeso, Republicans for Environmental Protection

A key congressional Democrat is leaving the door open to unwise public land sales that Republicans slammed shut last year.

"We are disturbed to hear that Norm Dicks, the Democrat who chairs the House Interior appropriations subcommittee, is willing to consider the administration's misguided proposal to sell national forest lands in order to raise funds for rural schools support. This fiscally irresponsible idea, which amounts to selling the furniture to pay the light bill, is as bad this year as it was last year," REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins said.

"Instead of giving this awful proposal any daylight, Dicks should do what the Republican chairmen of the Interior appropriations subcommittees did last year - tell the administration that selling our public lands heritage is a non-starter," Jenkins said. "Thanks to Charles Taylor and Conrad Burns, who chaired the House and Senate Interior appropriations subcommittees in 2006, Congress rejected land sales out of hand. Dicks should do likewise this year."

The best way to support rural schools is to identify a sustainable, long-term revenue source for them, not rely on a one-time fix that will leave schools high and dry when sales revenues are used up.

Our national forests are a capital asset that returns ongoing dividends - clean water, wildlife habitat, and carbon storage, to name a few. Like conservative investors, we must maintain this asset intact for the benefit of future generations.

Jim DiPeso is the Policy Director of Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization that includes elected officials as members.
jdipeso@rep.org Ph: 253-740-2066