Environmental Experts Criticize Legislation that Threatens Private Landownership

Washington, DC, June 20, 2001 – The House Natural Resources Committee is today hearing testimony on a bill that would massively increase government land ownership and waste additional billions of dollars on pork barrel projects.  The Competitive Enterprise Institute joins property rights activists, taxpayer groups, farmers, ranchers, senior citizens, and other free-market environmentalists in condemning this $45 billion bill, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

Property rights advocates are concerned by the bill because of the billions of dollars it provides for additional government land acquisitions.  “It is an affront to American taxpayers and a threat to property owners and anyone who wants to own property in the future,” said David Riggs, Director of Land and Natural Resource Policy at CEI.

“Four of every ten acres in the United States are already owned by federal, state, county or local governments,” commented Allison Freeman, environmental policy analyst at CEI.  “Most of this land is grossly mismanaged, including sixty percent of the national forests that are considered to be in a ‘very unhealthy’ condition. Transferring well-managed private lands into the hands of federal bureaucrats is the height of irresponsibility and folly.”

CARA Hearing:  House Committee on Resources, June 20, 2001, 10:00am, Rayburn Room 1324

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