LAKE HAVASU CITY  – Supervisor Buster Johnson was re-elected this past month as Chairman of the Quadstate Local Government Authority.   This is Supervisor Johnson’s 16th consecutive year serving as Chairman of the organization.  “I am honored that my colleagues have ensured their trust in me by continuing to elect me to serve as Chairman of this multi-state organization,” Johnson stated.  The Quadstate Local Governments Authority was established in 1999 and is a Joint Exercise of Powers Authority established between counties in the three western states of California, Nevada and Arizona.  The Quadstate Authority encompasses over 50,000 square miles in the Southwest, and contains over 39,541,259 acres of federal estate, much of which is already within highly protective categories such as National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and units of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Quadstate was organized to provide a multi-county voice on federal natural resource management and public lands issues primarily in the Mojave Desert region.  The Authority advances its policy priorities through legislative and regulatory advocacy and analysis, input regarding land use plans and decisions, and legal action.  At the March Board meeting, the members of Quadstate focused their attention on several public lands issues including energy development, uranium mining, desert tortoise protection and development, and the reauthorization of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and Secure Rural Schools (SRS).  

This past month the Board discussed detrimental actions taken by the Biden Administration this past year.  One of them is the creation of the Baaj Nwasvjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral footprints of the Grand Canyon Nation Monument in Northern Arizona that totaled 1.1M acres of federal public lands.  Supervisor Buster Johnson states that, “This is already having devasting impacts on Mohave County. This proposal was never coordinated with Mohave County officials, whose area will be changed forever by this designation.”  Quadstate came out against the monument designation when it occurred and currently is watching a pair of federal lawsuits initiated by Utah over the Biden Administrations unlawful use of the Antiquities Act.  While both lawsuits were dismissed by a Federal Judge earlier this year, Supervisor Johnson is hopeful that the quick dismissal will lead to a more expeditated review by the United States Supreme Court.  “I am confident that if we can get this in front of the US Supreme Court, they will see that the clear language of the law gives the president the authority only to designate monuments that are ‘the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected,” Johnson stated.

Another critical issue that Quadstate is deeply involved in is the reauthorization of PILT and SRS.  Supervisor Johnson reports that PILT payments account for over $3 million to the Mohave County general fund.  “Ensuring PILT is reauthorized is crucial for Arizona counties,” Johnson stated.  “Counties are not allowed to collect property taxes on public lands nor allowed to let private economic development occur, the PILT payments help counties offset those loses,” Johnson explained.  Unlike PILT, SRS does not affect every County in the State.  “While Mohave County does not benefit as much when it comes to SRS due to our County not having many forests service land, due to the funding formula for PILT should SRS not be reauthorized we face losing nearly $1 million of our PILT money,” Johnson explained.  

The Quadstate Authority focuses on ensuring rational management strategies are in place that provide for a balance between the needs of County constituents while still conserving natural resources.  Quadstate started in 1999 with seven participating counties and currently has six counties as members and the city of Ridgecrest, CA, as an Association.  The six members of the Authority are: La Paz and Mohave County in Arizona, Imperial and San Bernardino in California, and Lincoln and Nye County in Nevada.