How Norton Did It
I found an interesting article by the International Herald Tribune on just exactly how Gale Norton accomplished the turn over of all those acres of public lands to oil and mineral prospectors. She settled a law suit with Utah and gave Orin Hatch what he has long wanted. She ripped all those acres from ownership by all Americans and told Utah that they have primacy over them.
That is an interesting theory. As someone who lives in the west where most of the public lands are I have often thought that letting the states have the control over them would lead to more conservation and less exploitation. What I did not think about is that states like Utah could choose not to be stewards. People of Albuquerque may have a different idea as expressed by an opinion article in their paper.
I missed the dateline piece mentioned in the Idaho Statesman. But it seemed to open up the issue for debate and the consensus seemed to be that the people of the nation need to be involved in these decisions more.
Well, America I think you just got shafted. Maybe you don’t see it that way. Let me know what you think of the whole thing.
3:32:25 PM 
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