Transfer of Public Lands Is Becoming the Issue du Jour among Presidential Candidates

During the first weeks of the 2016 presidential primary season, presidential hopefuls are offering their views on the topic of transfer of public lands (TPL) giving the issue a higher profile than it has had in decades. In 2012, Mitt Romney did not begin speaking out on the topic until just before the Republican National Convention. However, Ted Cruz and John Kasich have released ads featuring TPL, and Donald Trump has commented publicly on the issue. Irrespective of where the candidates fall, raising the profile of an issue that is of great consequence to residents in America’s West but largely unknown to eastern Americans should foster debate leading to understanding and potential solutions.

ALEC has led on this issue for a number of years. ALEC has model policies, articles and a white paper to support environmentally-responsible transfer of select federal lands to state control, so we welcome the dialogue.