Proposition 110 provides method to protect bases

As residents of a military area, Yuma County voters should take particular interest in Proposition 110 on the November ballot.

One advantage of the proposal is that it would help protect military bases in Arizona.

Proposition 110 seeks to get voter approval to amend the Arizona Constitution to correct an issue with how state trust lands are handled.

As part of Arizona's statehood, more that 10 million acres of land in the state was set aside as “trust land.” This public land was designed to produce revenue for various public institutions through the lease or sell of the land and the natural resources on the land. In 1936, Congress also authorized the trading of trust land for other public of private land to gain more flexibility in managing the trust land.

However, this ability to trade the land was not added to the state constitution and courts have ruled that is necessary. Prop 110 corrects that oversight and adds some public protections.

The reason the ability to trade land is important, beyond increasing management efficiency, is that this can be used to help protect military facilities around the state and the ranges that they use for training, as well as for conservation purposes. The bases are a major economic benefit to our state.

One of the major dangers to Arizona bases, including our local bases, is either encroachment on the bases themselves or on their vital training ranges, without which they cannot function. This measure could help enable a trade of land that would put a government land buffer around these facilities.

Environmental groups also support the measure because it has the potential to better conserve land.

Various public notice and approval stages have been included in the measure to make the proposal even more attractive.

Proposition 110 is one of those rare measures that seems to be positive from all angles and has widespread support.