U.S. Official Calls for Cooperation to Solve Land Issue
A top U.S. Justice Department official has called for “cooperation, not confrontation” in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling blunting a bitter land rights rebellion.
U.S. District Judge Lloyd George ruled Thursday that the federal government “owns and has the power and authority to manage and administer” public lands in sprawling Nye County, north of Las Vegas.
The decision was seen as a blow to the Sagebrush Rebellion II movement sweeping the West, in which local governments claimed control over federal lands.
U.S. officials said Friday that they would seek to work with local officials in resolving land issues, but warned that the safety of federal workers remained a paramount issue.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Gen. Lois J. Schiffer, in a telephone conference call Friday from Washington, said the judge’s ruling made it clear that the United States has the right to manage public lands.
“We think this makes it very clear public employees have the right to carry out their jobs” and be protected, she added.
“We’re interested in cooperation, not confrontation,” she said.
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