Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeWaters
So there has been a movement brewing for many years now in the West, among Republicans, for states to reclaim federal lands and then sell them off, lease them for timber, mining, etc.
Is this something that is supported by the average Utahn?
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certainly by the average Utahn who lives in those areas I would say. The feds own a larger percentage of the land mass in Utah than any other state, and that has something to do historically with polygamy, I believe.
Ok, I looked it up. Nevada actually leads in percentage. Utah is second, and even ahead of Alaska. And while I lived there it was popularly believed the main reason the feds took so much land in the 1800s was because of their distrust of the church and the polygamy issue. Whether that's totally true I'm not completely sure, but it certainly seems plausible. My sense from years ago when I lived there is that I think most of the residents in rural areas would love for the feds to sell some of it. The ones who live along the Wasatch front (90% of the population of the state) I don't think care that much.