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FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS







No. 14
SEVERANCE TAX

                 
The removal of metals, petroleum, coal, phosphate, and other non-renewable resources from the earth poses many environmental, social, and conservation problems.  A new mining operation brings problems of housing, schooling, community services, roads, etc. when it enters a small town.  Similarly, the closing of a mining operation requires the relocation of miners (or their retraining) loss of revenue, and other readjustments.


Although the Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs does not advocate the exploitation of natural resources, it does have concern over the environmental and conservation results of the recovery operations.  Money to cover the publicly responsible costs of the mining areas is difficult to obtain from property taxes.  The logical method of obtaining money for mining related costs is by imposing a severance tax on the products of the mine.


Severance taxes are legal, practical, and successfully used in many states, notable Montana, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas.  Since severance taxes are essentially a sales tax on mine products, the purchasers of the mine products pay the taxes, not the mining company, local citizens, ore even citizens of the state.  The great majority of most mine products are shipped out of state, even out of the U.S.A.  Routine operations of protecting the environment in the course of mining are the responsibility of the mining company and not covered by the severance tax.


Therefore, the Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs supports the concept of severance taxes in connection with mineral developments of any kind.


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