Grand Teton State Park?/Rebecca Latson
A Wyoming lawmaker, perhaps looking for his 15 minutes of fame, has introduced legislation to the state Legislature that would give Wyoming the authority to seize Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, or other federal properties (aside from military facilities) in the Cowboy State, if they are closed to the public due to lack of funding.
Of course, state Sen. Charles Scott's proposal is shaky, at best, on constitutional grounds. From time to time states -- most notably Utah -- have called for the federal government to turn over lands to them. To have a state seize federal property, well, that's something else.
Sen. Scott, a Republican from Casper, says he's just interested in helping out the federal government in the event of shutdowns, such as the one we've just exited, and ensuring that his state's tourism industry doesn't suffer.
"We're trying to be cooperative. But when push comes to shove, we're not going to let the foolishness of Washington stand in the way of using a little common sense," he said, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
Scott's measure does call for the Wyoming governor to "return the seized federal facility to the federal government. The governor may make any arrangements as are useful with the federal government or its appropriate agents for a smooth transition back to federal control and operation."
At the same time, the legislation would give the governor authority to manage the parks as he saw fit. To finance any takeover, the bill calls for $1 million to be placed in a contingency fund
Comments
None of the 418 parks in the National Park System takes in enough money to cover their operating and maintenance expenses. Since about 2/3 of the parks have no entrance fees at all, they cover zero of their operating expenses. I think if these states were to reaize the expensive of running these parks they would quickly shy away.
If he wants to ensure that the state's tourism economy remains viable, he can propose legislation that would halt the bloodthirsty killing of grizzly bears - sows and cubs almost ready to den for the season and others just protecting food sources. Along with lowering quotas on wolves and better protect those in the GTNP area. Wyoming's tourism dollars is dependent on live wildlife for visitors to see. And he could enact legislation that would require his cowboys to toughen up and protect their stock by non-lethal means. If Florida can live with deadly crocodiles roaming the streets then Wyoming is suely tough enough to live with someone lions, wolves and bears.
Sorry for the typos - comment made on iPhone.
Ditto Deb