SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Utah lawmaker’s proposal to sell 3.3 million acres of public land in 10 states would include 70,300 acres in Oregon but it’s uncertain whether the legislation will go anywhere.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz last week introduced a bill to sell off lands in 10 states maintained by the Bureau of Land Management to help rural communities.
The Statesman Journal (https://stjr.nl/2kWGHXd ) reports the bill would impact public lands in 19 Oregon counties. The parcels would range from 44,533 acres in Harney County to 1 acre in Marion County.
Environmental groups have denounced the effort. It’s not clear whether President Trump would support the bill.
Jim Moore, a political science professor at Pacific University, said he thinks the proposal is basically a test balloon.
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