Former Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory is a leading proponent of the Legislature’s attempt to seize control of America’s public lands in Utah.
As Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke observed, Ivory is “going to work for a company that got a $700,000 state contract based on legislation he sponsored and appropriations he had requested.”
This is a cautionary tale about all that is wrong about Utah’s proposed land grab. It’s wrong on the facts: Public lands in Utah never belonged to the state, so Utah can’t “take them back.”
It’s wrong on the law: Congress made it clear that, with few and specific exceptions, the American people will retain ownership of public lands.
It’s wrong financially: Utah simply can’t afford to manage an additional 30 million acres of land. And it’s wrong ethically: A deal is a deal, and Utah explicitly abandoned all claim to our public lands when it was admitted to the Union.
One wrong after another. As Americans, we are all co-owners of our public lands. And that shared stewardship is a unifying force that is right for our country. Let’s keep it that way.
Lawson LeGate, Salt Lake City