| Description |
Sixty-seven percent of Utah is federally owned. The United States government owns larger tracts of only two other states-Nevada with eighty-six percent federal ownership and Alaska with ninety-five percent. Since such a large portion of Utah is owned by the federal government, the decisions made about public land management have a great impact on the state. A Congressional mandate to increase the availability of oil leases can result in added royalty revenues for state and local government as well as the federal government. A federal agency guideline to consolidate local offices can result in closing an office in a small rural town. The consequences are both economic and social--fewer families; to buy goods and services, fewer families to participate in churches and schools. In these and many other ways the decisions about federal land management affect Utah. This study will explore the changing philosophies of federal land management. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service will be the primary subjects. |
