I also should give a shout out to TRCP for the work they are doing too. This video and sportsmensaccess.org is all part of that work.
Live: Online Hub for Western Pushback Against State Takeover of America?s Public Lands
One-stop shop for statements of opposition from local leaders in nine Western states and the seminal petition against public land transfer, with more than 28,000 signatures
FORT COLLINS, Colo. ? Sportsmensaccess.org, the online hub where hunters and anglers can take action against the transfer or sale of federal public lands to individual states, has been updated with new resources on the would-be impacts of transfer and highlights meaningful opposition to this idea that has sprung up across nine Western states.
The homepage now leads off with the Sportsmen?s Access petition and a new video, narrated by hunting TV host and public lands evangelist Randy Newberg, which scrubs out the myths about proposed state management of public lands. ?It doesn't matter how many promises are made, the financial realities would force states to sell off our public lands,? says Newberg. ?There goes access to hunting, fishing, camping, and our way of life.?
Sportsmen, Westerners, and the media will also find the real facts on what state takeover of public lands would look like in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. Each state page contains a link to download a fact sheet, plus an exhaustive list of public statements of opposition from elected officials, local leaders, and the 115 organizations that stand with sportsmen. An infographic about the threats to multiple use of our public lands, a mandate that keeps fish and wildlife on the landscape, is also available for download.
This week, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership will deliver the Sportsmen?s Access petition, which recently broke 28,000 signatures, to surrogates representing presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton at a media event in Fort Collins, Colo. As part of a forum with journalists covering hunting, fishing, and the environment, Donald Trump, Jr., will talk about his father?s conservation priorities, and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) will address Clinton?s policy goals for issues important to sportsmen.
?America?s hunters and anglers need more champions in Washington and statehouses across the country?lawmakers who understand that access to public lands where fish and wildlife can thrive is fundamental to our sports, our heritage, and the outdoor recreation businesses that create jobs and prosperity in local communities,? says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the TRCP. ?But, beyond that, we need our elected officials to recognize that sportsmen see state takeover of our national public lands, and our inevitable loss of access, as a cold-dead-hands issue. This stack of pages containing the names of 28,000 Americans opposed to this bad idea should serve as a visual reminder.?
A diverse coalition of sportsmen's groups and outdoor brands have rallied against the transfer or sale of public lands since January 2015, and public outcry has grown since the takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon earlier this year. State legislatures in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming rejected land grab proposals in 2016, yet the House Natural Resources Committee, in a move that was out of touch with Westerners and sportsmen, voted last week to advance two bills on land transfer to the House floor.
To learn more about the latest movement on these and other bills that threaten access for hunting and fishing, visit sportsmensaccess.org.
