The president wants Congress to double spending - to $900 million next year - on a conservation fund that's used to buy more property for the federal government. Currently, the government owns 635 million acres, or roughly three out of every 10 acres, with the largest chunk in Alaska. But with the nation deep in debt and facing a long backlog of projects on its public lands, many Republicans are lining up against Obama's plan, leaving its fate uncertain.
"I think we should take care of what we have before we acquire more land," said Washington state Republican Rep. Doc Hastings, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. "Most people would say let's maintain what we have before we acquire more of it, I don't care what it is. ... To me, it's a pretty straightforward solution to oppose it." (read more)
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