Introduction
Armed anti-government protesters listen as their leader, Ammon Bundy, speaks to the media on Jan. 4, 2016, during their takeover of federal buildings at Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Bundy and 24 others were later arrested. Their demands included giving private owners and local government control of public lands. (AFP/Getty Images/Rob Kerr/Stringer)
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Armed protesters who occupied Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January focused national attention on local anger over federal management of public land in Western states. But for several years, a quieter rebellion has occurred in the West, where the federal government owns nearly half the land. In 2012, Utah enacted a law demanding that the federal government relinquish more than 31 million acres of public land in the state, and Arizona's governor vetoed a similar bill. Five Western states have enacted laws to study the issue. Proponents of land transfers say federal mismanagement of public lands contributes to catastrophic wildfires and costs logging, ranching and mining jobs. But opponents say courts settled the federal land ownership issue long ago and that the federal government does a good job of managing public lands under often-conflicting mandates, such as conserving lands and facilitating resource extraction. Moreover, the opponents say if states controlled federal lands they would increase commercial development or sell land to private interests.
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Mar. 17, 2023 |
Forever Chemicals |
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Sep. 02, 2022 |
Preserving the Seas |
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Jun. 17, 2022 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Dec. 17, 2021 |
Endangered Species |
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Nov. 06, 2020 |
Preventing Wildfires |
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Jul. 10, 2020 |
Circular Economy |
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Nov. 29, 2019 |
Climate Change and Health |
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Sep. 20, 2019 |
Extreme Weather |
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Dec. 07, 2018 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Dec. 02, 2016 |
Arctic Development |
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Apr. 22, 2016 |
Managing Western Lands |
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Jul. 18, 2014 |
Regulating Toxic Chemicals |
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Sep. 20, 2013 |
Future of the Arctic |
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Jun. 14, 2013 |
Climate Change |
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Nov. 06, 2012 |
Vanishing Biodiversity |
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Nov. 02, 2012 |
Managing Wildfires |
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Nov. 04, 2011 |
Managing Public Lands |
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Aug. 26, 2011 |
Gulf Coast Restoration |
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Jul. 2010 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Feb. 2010 |
Climate Change |
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Jan. 09, 2009 |
Confronting Warming |
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Dec. 05, 2008 |
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint |
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Nov. 2008 |
Carbon Trading |
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Oct. 03, 2008 |
Protecting Wetlands |
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Feb. 29, 2008 |
Buying Green |
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Dec. 14, 2007 |
Future of Recycling |
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Nov. 30, 2007 |
Disappearing Species |
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Feb. 2007 |
Curbing Climate Change |
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Dec. 01, 2006 |
The New Environmentalism |
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Jan. 27, 2006 |
Climate Change |
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Oct. 25, 2002 |
Bush and the Environment |
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Oct. 05, 2001 |
Invasive Species |
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Nov. 05, 1999 |
Saving Open Spaces |
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Jun. 11, 1999 |
Saving the Rain Forests |
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May 21, 1999 |
Setting Environmental Priorities |
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Mar. 19, 1999 |
Partisan Politics |
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Oct. 16, 1998 |
National Forests |
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Jun. 19, 1998 |
Environmental Justice |
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Aug. 23, 1996 |
Cleaning Up Hazardous Wastes |
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Mar. 31, 1995 |
Environmental Movement at 25 |
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Jun. 19, 1992 |
Lead Poisoning |
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May 15, 1992 |
Jobs Vs. Environment |
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Jan. 17, 1992 |
Oil Spills |
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Sep. 20, 1991 |
Saving the Forests |
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Apr. 26, 1991 |
Electromagnetic Fields: Are They Dangerous? |
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Sep. 08, 1989 |
Free Market Environmental Protection |
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Dec. 09, 1988 |
Setting Environmental Priorities |
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Jul. 29, 1988 |
Living with Hazardous Wastes |
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Dec. 20, 1985 |
Requiem for Rain Forests? |
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Aug. 17, 1984 |
Protecting the Wilderness |
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Jun. 15, 1984 |
Troubled Ocean Fisheries |
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Aug. 19, 1983 |
America's Disappearing Wetlands |
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Feb. 22, 1980 |
Noise Control |
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Nov. 16, 1979 |
Closing the Environmental Decade |
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Oct. 13, 1978 |
Toxic Substance Control |
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Feb. 27, 1976 |
Pollution Control: Costs and Benefits |
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Nov. 28, 1975 |
Forest Policy |
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May 30, 1975 |
Wilderness Preservation |
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Dec. 20, 1974 |
Environmental Policy |
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Nov. 14, 1973 |
Strip Mining |
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Dec. 01, 1971 |
Global Pollution |
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Jul. 21, 1971 |
Protection of the Countryside |
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Jan. 06, 1971 |
Pollution Technology |
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Jun. 19, 1968 |
Protection of the Environment |
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Oct. 30, 1963 |
Noise Suppression |
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