Wyo. Governor Charges ‘Feudalism’ in Fire Bills

Gov. Mike Sullivan opened a three-day symposium on the future of Yellowstone National Park today by accusing the Bush Administration of “feudalism” for asking the state to pay for firefighting there.

“I would hope that George Bush’s vision of a kinder and gentler nation does not envision burning someone’s back yard and then charging them for the privilege,” he said.

Wildfires spurred by high heat and drought eventually burned across nearly half of the park’s 2.2 million acres last year.

Sullivan said cooperation among state and federal agencies in managing the world’s first national park is being sorely tested by Bush’s proposal to pay for last summer’s firefighting with the state’s share of federal mineral royalties, money paid to the government for mining and oil drilling on federal land.

“Bluntly stated, this idea is feudalism and not federalism. Western states are not vassals on some vast medieval estate owned by absentee landlords in Washington, but this proposal would treat us as such,” Sullivan said.

The governor, who is a Democrat, said he has urged that this “ill-conceived idea” be reconsidered.