The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations has approved a budget for the Interior and Environment for 2015, and Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis says, if passed into law, the bill would have a huge impact on Western states like Wyoming.
For instance, it would provide a one-time payment to counties with large amounts of federal lands for lost property taxes. Lummis says this program—called Payment in Lieu of Taxes—could really help counties in the western part of the state. “As more and more federal land is acquired in Wyoming and other states, that land comes off the tax rolls,” Lummis says, “thereby making it really hard for county governments to fund basic services to their residents.”
Lummis says the bill would also cut funding to the Environmental Protection Agency for its program to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, as well as delay the decision about whether to list the sage grouse as an endangered species for an extra year.
“These are all things that should be done at the state level” Lummis says. “The Wyoming Game and Fish, the Wyoming DEQ, the Wyoming State Engineer—are all perfectly capable of handling and regulating these functions.”
The bill would also increase funding for other programs such as the Indian Health Services and forest fire management.
If the House passes the measure it would still have to pass the Senate.
