This document outlines a pledge for political candidates to commit to securing full statehood equality for western states in terms of public land management. It argues that federal management of public lands in the west is failing to ensure healthy forests, wildlife, communities, and recreation. A legal analysis found that western states are entitled to the same rights over public lands as eastern states. Turning ordinary federal lands over to state control through the #FreeTheLands movement would make land management more efficient and protect access to recreation, while respecting valid existing rights. The goal is fundamental fairness and equality for western states in determining the future of their own public lands.

1. Candidate Pledge:
I, _________________________________, seeking the
office of _____________________________________
in ______________________State, am committed to
#FreeTheLands in accordance with the American Lands
Council (ALC) Public Policy Statement. I am relentlessly
committed to securing full Statehood Equality –
Nothing Less!
________________________________________________ (Sign) ____________________ (Date)
Return Completed Pledge To: info@AmericanLandsCouncil.org
The American Lands Council 859 W. South Jordan Parkway, Suite 100; South Jordan, UT 84095 (801) 252-6622
GOAL: We all want healthy air, water and wildlife; safe and vibrant communities; and abundant
outdoor recreation. Management of our unique lands by distant, unaccountable federal
bureaucrats is not working:
 Forests are overgrown and going up in smoke in record numbers, killing wildlife,
destroying habitat, choking off water supplies, spewing carcinogenic pollutants, and
threatening the health, safety and welfare of western communities.
 Tens of thousands of roads and trails are being blocked off by federal agencies all over
the west, restricting recreation access and aggravating wildfire conditions.
 Western States are held hostage -- denied the ability to care for their own lands, protect
their communities, and determine their own destiny on terms of equality and fairness
with States east of the Rocky Mountains.
LEGAL CASE: In December of 2015, a team of nationally renowned constitutional scholars and legal
experts released an exhaustive legal analysis which found the federal government has no authority
to treat western states unequally, like second class citizens. The constitutional obligations of the
federal government and the terms of the various statehood agreements requiring the federal
government to relinquish control over the public lands are the same for all states east and west of
the Rocky Mountains. (Video Summary here and here).
ECONOMIC CASE: Studies show that for every dollar federal bureaucrats spend managing public
lands they lose 27 cents, while States, on the other hand, generate more than $14 on average for
every dollar they spend managing millions of acres of state public lands.
PUBLIC POLICY: #FreeTheLands is NOT about selling off public lands; it’s about ordinary federal
public lands (i.e. forest and range lands, NOT national parks, military or tribal lands, etc.) becoming
state public lands for multiple use in accordance with state and local land use plans.
FULL COLOR INFO BOOKLET at http://www.americanlandscouncil.org/get_the_facts
#FreeTheLands is about fundamental fairness and statehood equality – Nothing Less -- to better care
for our unique lands, protect and enhance recreation access and all valid existing rights, and foster safe
and thriving western communities for the well being of the entire nation.
For more info visit www.AmericanLandsCouncil.org