Group Letter to Representatives Lummis and Heinrich
Group Letter to Senator Bingaman
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust
On November 4, 2011, Representatives Lummis (R-WY) and Heinrich (D-NM) introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) for seven years, H.R. 3365. Original co-sponsors include Representatives Bishop (R-UT), Simpson (R-ID), Pearce (R-NM), Gosar (R-AZ) and Lujan (D-NM).
By reauthorizing FLTFA permanently, Congress can restore this important conservation funding tool that uses a “land for land” approach to help federal agencies acquire critically important tracts of land from private willing sellers for fish and wildlife conservation, cultural and historic preservation and outdoor recreation in the West, through the disposal of non-strategic BLM lands that benefits local economies.
On July 14, 2011, the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee approved and reported out S. 714, the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2011, a bill that would reauthorize FLTFA until July 25, 2021. The bill is now ready for a vote by the full Senate.
In 2000, Congress passed bipartisan legislation that authorized FLTFA for 10 years. Through FLTFA’s "land for land" program, BLM sells land identified for disposal to ranchers, farmers, businesses and others to consolidate land ownership, create jobs, support economic development and increase revenues to counties by putting land on the tax rolls. These sales generate funding for BLM, USFS, NPS and USFWS to acquire critical inholdings from willing sellers in certain designated areas. BLM has sold land to benefit both the private sector and municipalities, including ranchers, timber interests, real estate companies, a community college, and counties for landfills, a cemetery, and other public purposes.
Federal land sales provide revenue for program administration and federal agencies to acquire high-priority lands with important recreational access for hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, other activities, as well as properties with historic, scenic and cultural resources. Completed FLTFA projects include river frontage for fly-fishing access at North Platte River SRMA, big-game winter habitat at Elk Springs ACEC in New Mexico, hiking access at Hells Canyon Wilderness in Arizona, historic preservation at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, trumpeter swam preservation at Red Rock Lakes Refuge in Montana, rafting on the South Fork Snake River in Idaho and Rogue Wild and Scenic River in Oregon, conservation at Grand Teton National Park and many sites. These new places help the local tourism economy through recreational equipment sales, hotels, restaurants, gas stations and more. By providing landowners with additional opportunities to sell their lands, FLTFA helps landowners achieve their economic goals. Because it is self financed through BLM land sales, FLTFA does not require taxpayer funds.
See the FLTFA brochure and map for an overview of the program and projects. FLTFA works in conjunction with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and often complements the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
Contact Kelly (Cotter) Ingebritson
Email: kingebritson@conservationfund.org
Phone: (703) 797-2517
FLTFA Project: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Note: A pop-up may appear to verify our site—press continue, our site is secure!
Charity Navigator and
American Institute of Philanthropy
give us their highest rating.
Powered by: Phase2 TechnologyThe Conservation Fund National Office
1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 1300
Arlington, Virginia 22209-3199
Phone: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703-525-4610
Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
