Federal lands panel meets on Sept. 12 in Sandpoint

SANDPOINT - A legislative panel studying the prospect of transferring federal lands to state control is meeting in Sandpoint on Friday, Sept. 12.

The Federal Lands Interim Committee is meeting at noon at the Sandpoint Events Center at 102 S. Euclid Ave.

An agenda for the meeting is pending.

The committee is staffed by five state senators and six state representatives. It's co-chaired by Sen. Chuck Winder and Rep. Lawrence Denney.

The Legislature formed the two-year committee in 2013 to undertake a comprehensive study of a process for the state to acquire title and control of lands held by the federal government.

Proponents of the effort contend Idaho has a right to the lands under the U.S. Constitution. They also argue that state control of public lands would be an economic boon because it would enable increased timber harvesting and mining.

But some counter that the state specifically declaimed those lands when it was admitted into the union in 1890.

Opponents of the proposal, meanwhile, are warning proponents to be careful what they wish for, because managing federal lands could cost the state as much as $392 million a year.