Reid Statement on Report Discounting Public Lands Seizures

Statement

Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement after the release of a report from the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) that discounts claims by proponents of the land seizure movement that the United States is legally obligated to transfer public lands to the states. CWAG is composed of the top lawyers for every western state with significant amounts of public lands within their borders. The report can be found here.

"This report proves that those who wish to take over our public lands in the West are misguided at best and downright criminal at worst," said Senator Reid. "Everyone should be able to enjoy the natural treasures and priceless beauty offered by our public lands -- not just the rich and powerful. It is time for the Koch brothers-funded American Lands Council and their allies in Congress and state Legislatures across the West to give up their goal of selling America's natural heritage to the highest bidder."

Background

In August 2014, the Conference of Western Attorneys General formed a subcommittee to examine the legal theories being put forward to support the misguided claim that the "federal government was legally obligated to sell or transfer the public lands within a given state to that state." For nearly two years, a team of attorneys from the AG offices in all of the eleven western states except California, plus Alaska, examined the issues. They produced a 48-page report that was adopted by CWAG at its annual meeting.

The report found any such claims are weak at best and stand little to no chance of succeeding in the courts, based on previous court cases and rulings.

Source