VAIL – Western governors, meeting in Colorado this week, called on Congress to simplify land exchanges between the federal government and states in order to reduce problems resulting from  “checkerboard land ownership” across the West.

In a resolution adopted Wednesday by the Western Governors Association, which represents 19 western states and three Pacific territories, the governors also called on the federal government to ease the “lengthy, expensive, and inefficient” requirements surrounding land transfers.

“Federal and state land managers, land users, the environmental community and the public all agree that the checkerboard land ownership pattern is a major hindrance to effective and ecologically sound management of both federal and state lands,” the resolution reads.

Streamlining and updating the process, the governors said, will promote better management of public lands, including fighting wildfires, conserving habitats and protecting watersheds.

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The resolution was one of four adopted by the bipartisan group at the conclusion of its three-day annual meeting in Vail. The others concern managing invasive species, handling the National Park Service’s deferred-maintenance backlog and supporting migratory corridors and habitat for fish and wildlife.

“We are all proud westerners, regardless of the party label we may wear or what state we’re from,” said Gov. Jared Polis at the meeting’s opening press conference.

He added: “There’s a lot we have in common, and by working together we can create better scale, exchange good ideas and find a common way forward to deal with the issues our constituents raise.”

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The dozen governors attending the conference at Vail’s Hotel Talisa heard from two members of President Trump’s cabinet – Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson – and participated in workshops on broadband connectivity, data-based water management and the opioid crisis.

The organization installed North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a first-term Republican, to chair the organization for the next year, succeeding Hawaii Gov. David Ige. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown was named vice chair.

Burgum said his central policy initiative over the next year will be devoted to “Reimagining the Rural West,” which will examine rural economic development, infrastructure and quality of life.

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