SALT LAKE CITY — Utah leaders on the federal level are fighting to keep any more of Utah's land free of control from the federal government. Utah Senators Mike Lee (R) and John Curtis (R), along with Rep. Mike Kennedy (R), have introduced a new bill on Capitol Hill aimed at protecting Utah's public lands.
The bill, called the "Natural Asset Company Prohibition Act," would prevent natural asset companies (NAC) from influencing Utah's public lands.
A "NAC" is a publicly traded company that acquires portfolios of ecosystems like forests and wetlands. In exchange, people buy a share of Mother Nature, and the company preserves the land and its benefits.
However, Utah leaders argue this system will impact state use of the land, and hurt the rural economy. The proposed bill would keep the companies from interfering with natural resources.
Public land control is a sensitive topic for Utah leaders, especially since the federal government owns a large part of the state. A report released by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute says that the federal government owns about 70% of Utah's land. Only 6% of that is managed by the National Park Service.
Last year, the federal government collected about $186 million in natural resources, of which about $94 million was distributed to the Beehive State.
Utah leaders filed a lawsuit a couple of months ago staking claim to millions of acres of public lands. The Supreme Court refused to see the case, but the state could still pursue the lawsuit in a lower court.
