Congressman calls for sale of federal land to fund hurricane relief

DENVER - U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo on Wednesday called for the sale of federal land to fund Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

"The federal government may be cash-poor but it is land rich. There is demand for farm and ranch land, and the federal government should have long ago transferred its massive holdings to the private sector, where it can be put to use," the Colorado Republican said in a statement.

He introduced a bill in Congress requiring the Interior Department to sell 15 percent of the federal land it controls, excluding national parks and Indian land. The Agriculture Department also would be required to sell a portion of the land it controls.

"Environmental radicals put up regulatory roadblocks to use of our national land, often miring any sensible land use proposal in endless litigation. My bill would give environmentalists an excellent opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and buy up federal land for conservation," Tancredo said.

A vast majority of federal lands - including more than 75 percent of the national forest acres, more than 90 percent of the national park acres, and more than 99 percent of the Bureau of Land Management acres - are located in the 12 western states including Alaska.