Governor Freudenthal Discusses State-Federal Issues

Press Conference

Today at his regularly-scheduled press conference, Governor Dave Freudenthal discussed several state-federal issues, including the sale of state land in Grand Teton National Park, wolf management and the federal debt. The necessary next step in the process of selling the school trust land was undertaken today when the Wyoming State Land and Investment Board, of which Gov. Freudenthal is a member, agreed to the terms of the sale, a transaction Wyoming has tried to resolve for nearly 50 years. Text of audio clip: "This is the first time we have had a route forward. It is not perfect and it is obviously like everything in the government, it is subject to the availability of funds. But, to have an agreement in principal, an agreement on the price, an agreement on the time schedule, and an agreement on the manner and means by which it would be transacted, I think, is a good step. I hope the Legislature will authorize the Land Board to fully execute it during the next session and proceed to do it. I think Salazar and Strickland deserve credit for not linking issues because as you know there are other issues about which we have, shall we say, some gulf between us in terms of how we could proceed and I credit them with saying, "Look we are no not going to tie these issues together, we're going to work together wherever we can,' and I am pleased by that." Audio clip attached: "Gov GTNP sale Dec 9 2010 final" :52 sec. The Governor said the next step requires Wyoming's legislators to approve the Agreement with the Department of the Interior. The Department of Interior has also been at the table in the last several days as Gov. Freudenthal and the governors of Idaho and Montana met with U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials to discuss wolf management. Text of audio clip: "This thing has always needed a non-judicial, negotiated resolution. But it has always been forced back into the standard Fish and Wildlife bureaucracy that then brings you into court. So the involvement of the Secretary and Assistant Secretary seemed to me to open the door for a discussion that had common sense as opposed to bureaucrats protecting their turf." Audio clip attached: "Gov on wolf discussions Dec 9 2010 final" :22 sec. Gov. Freudenthal said all three states must resolve wolf management together in order to achieve a resolution, which he said is possible in the future. Text of audio clip:"Most people agree that, not only is the population recovered, it is very robust. And the question is, how are you going to manage them? And those obstacles that are there, particularly those that have been thrown up by the judge in Montana, create real problems. When you can get a clear consensus with the Department (of Interior) that the population numbers are where they need to be, that we are basically in agreement about habitat; in early discussions there wasn't a lot of pushback on our notion of dual status. There are some boundary issues. So I think we made progress in terms of setting the stage for the next iteration." Audio clip attached: "Gov on wolf mgt in future Dec 9 2010 final" :34sec. The Governor said that the recently-released Presidential Deficit Commission recommendations were the topic of private conversations among governors at the Western Governors Association meeting. Gov. Freudenthal said that he and his colleagues understand that states will need to reduce their expectations for federal funds. Text of audio clip: "There are some things I don't like in it. I mean, they're going after our sacred cow of AML (Abandoned Mine Lands funding) and some of that. But if at the end of the day, people will implement a package that is one of shared sacrifice, we may have to live with it if we want our children not to have all that debt. I think the governors sat there and said, "Look, one of the implications of this is that a lot of things that we may have been getting federal discretionary money for we may not get.' But nobody is adverse to that as long as it is part of an effort to actually have a positive outcome for this country and for the next generation." Audio clip attached: "Gov deficit comish Dec 9 2010 final" :31sec. What governors do not want to see, Freudenthal said, is regions pitted against each other or rural states pitted against more urban populations. On the issue of the country's finances, Gov. Freudenthal said that the agreement reached by President Barack Obama and Congressional Republican leaders on tax cuts is one that was politically expedient but will be harmful to the future generations who will be burdened by the enormous federal debt. Text of audio clip: "The true people for whom debt is an issue don't exist, and so there is no constituency pushing for responsible fiscal policy. You know, we understand the politics of compromise. What we don't understand is - it's a politics of compromise entirely based on the deferral of the longer-term issue. " Audio clip attached: "Gov call to action debt Dec 9 2010 final" :17sec. That deferral, Freudenthal said, comes from elected officials asking for things like tax cuts for which they have no intention of paying. -30-

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