Transfer of Public Lands

[npaden]

Okay, on another board we were having a discussion on what the average hunter might be able to do to increase the chances of future generations in hunting the great public lands across the Western United States. One thing I think we can all (or at least most of us) can agree on is keeping public lands public and accessible. If you would like to email your U.S. Representatives on the subject here's a way to do that.

Here's a place to look up your House of Representative's email address.

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Here's a list of the Senators email addresses.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

I don't have a slick professionally prepared email that you can copy and paste and send out, but I will share the one that I sent.

Dear Mr. Cruz,

I'm writing to you to let you know that I am strongly opposed to any transfer of public lands to state control or sale to private interests.

These public lands are one of the greatest treasures that our country has, and should be retained for the benefit of both present and future generations of Americans.

When this topic is discussed, please look to the long term consequences of any privatization of public lands and the potential of misuse or privatization once federal lands are transferred to state control. This is a very complex issue that might sound good off the cuff, but when you really look deeply into it would be devastating for future generations.

Please let me know that you will do everything in your power to oppose the transfer of public lands.

Thanks, Nathan Paden

One thing that is concerning is that the email form for Mr. Cruz had about 20 different topics that he would be expecting to hear from his constituents on. Animal Welfare, Environment, Monetary Policy, you name it. But Conservation was no where on the list so I selected Other for the topic. I would guess that's the case for the vast majority of elected officials except a few western states. Maybe we can change that if we all pitch in and start sending emails.

If anyone has a better worded letter or any other information to add that would be great. If you can think of any other people that it would be worth contacting please let us know.

Thanks, Nathan

 

[Cornhusker]

Good post this us something we should all do and most of us probably don't think of like we should.

 

[piper]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-15 AT 09:13AM (MST)[p]The polls show that the majority of Americans want public land to stay public, but not overwhelmingly so.

Many politicians won't listen, like Cruz and some from Utah, but most will and we should pay attention to this, especially if you have children and want to see them enjoy the freedom public lands provide.

 

[Zim]

Good post. Another $2 million of taxpayers money blown due to special interest groups stuffing some legislators pocket to write this bill. What a joke. Some of these orgs need to do the world a favor and move shop to North Korea or Burma.

***********************************
Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, NRA, UWC & DP Hate Club

 

[Gunnie3035]

I was in a meeting last week where a couple of legislators spoke on this issue. I was under the impression much of the issue was over the wild horses and federal agencies over stepping their intended purposes. Obviously I know little about this issue so educate me. It would seem from the outside looking in that we as residents would have more say in the matter if it was state controlled rather than federal. But like I said I'm fairly ignorant on the subject.

 

[piper]

It's about money, like most things in life.
Money for the few, at the expense of many. Don't kid yourself.

 

[jm77]

In Wyoming the state lands have many more restrictions on use, for sportsman and other recreation users, than BLM or NF lands. That is why the Wyoming Sportsman's Alliance, a group of 9 Sportsman and wildlife related groups, is fighting the idea of any Federal land transfers.

 

[Gunnie3035]

Everything is about money.... But what are the states doing to make it more restrictive?

 

[BigFin]

Gunnie posted - ".... But what are the states doing to make it more restrictive?"

Good question. A few examples.

In Colorado you cannot hunt state lands, except the very few acres where hunting is leased by CPW. That's 23 million acres where you can currently hunt that would become off limits to public hunting under state control.

In Montana, it was a huge battle to get to hunt state lands and there are still hard feelings. Now, for an annual access fee, you can hunt state lands, but it is only one Legislature and Governor away from being overturned.

In New Mexico you cannot camp on state lands, where you can camp at will on BLM/USFS lands. Most guys I know who hunt the best elk units in NM camp on USFS or BLM.

In Wyoming you cannot camp on state lands, where you can camp at will on BLM and USFS lands. Wyoming's best hunting is in remote areas that require camping on BLM/USFS lands. Not sure people want to drive hours each morning/evening to get to their hunting spots, being they could no longer camp nearby.

In Montana, you can only camp on state lands for two days and then must camp within 300 yards of the nearest access point.

Those camping restrictions above apply to tents, RVs, travel trailers, you name it. Not being able to set up a camp is a serious restriction to most hunters I know. So much for backpack hunts, base camp hunts, trips way into the backcountry.

California is currently restricting hunting on a lot of their state lands. How long do we think CA would continue to allow hunting on the 30+ million acres of BLM/USFS land, if these became lands owned by CA?

Given some of the crazy politics along the I-5 corridor, I don't think it is a stretch to see a day when OR and WA might restrict hunting activities on state owned lands as the California influence grows among the urban centers of those two states.

States are constitutionally required to managed for the highest possible returns for their School Trust Systems. Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and wildlife are not a priority when managing those lands. Maximized return is not always good for hunting. The big issue about the Book Cliffs in Utah being a prime example.

All the western states have viable programs for selling state lands to fund schools/mental health/other state agencies. Some sell a lot more than others. I suspect a huge glut of land inventory acquired from the Feds would make selling these lands pretty attractive. That would be a lot more restrictive than what the Feds currently do.


"Hunt when you can - You're gonna' run out of health before you run out of money!"

 

[Zim]

>In Wyoming you cannot camp on
>state lands, where you can
>camp at will on BLM
>and USFS lands. Wyoming's
>best hunting is in remote
>areas that require camping on
>BLM/USFS lands. Not sure
>people want to drive hours
>each morning/evening to get to
>their hunting spots, being they
>could no longer camp nearby.

Ya except if you are an entitled outfitter and get special access to backcountry campsites on USFS land behind locked gates where the general public must hike in 4 freakin miles. What up with that??? It is indeed all about money.

***********************************
Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, NRA, UWC & DP Hate Club

 

[sageadvice]

"California is currently restricting hunting on a lot of their state lands. How long do we think CA would continue to allow hunting on the 30+ million acres of BLM/USFS land, if these became lands owned by CA?"

+1. i heard it here first and hadn't thought of it like that before! All of it, Well done post BF!!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Daxter]

BigFin totally nailed it. I'll be the first one to admit that the BLM and Forest Service occasionally (well, ok, regularly) make me want to pull my hair out. That being said at I LOVE the quality of life public lands give me and seeing those lands change hands to an entity that is focused on maximizing revenues from those lands scares me to death. I have a friend on Facebook from Spain. He responded to a post with a picture of me with a bull elk by telling me that I live like a king. He's right, in Europe for a long time only royalty could hunt, even now it's only the wealthy. I love that in the western US working class, blue collar regular folks can hunt public lands and "live like a king". I hope we can keep it that way.

Dax

 

[ZIGGER]

accessible = not designated wilderness

I liked it big...fondler doesn't

 

[piper]

I access wilderness all the time, why don't you speak the truth Zigger? You should say not accessible by motorized vehicles. Damn rights and I love it that way, so does wildlife

 

[sageadvice]

Piper, I live in the middle of a vast track of Public land being considered by some to "put a fence around". We as residents, cut our firewood, Christmas tree, go camping, fishing the lakes and streams, hunt Deer, there's Elk and Antelope for the lucky who draw, run a trap line if you want to, there's ducks and geese in the hundreds of high mountain lakes, you can gather stone or pick Morels by the gallon, hunt grouse or quail, bear, shoot yotes and small game alike, or even just take a ride out and let some steam off once in awhile. All on Public, all in Calif.

All of this Country has plenty of long existing roads, from the logging industry, mineral explorations, or recreational destinations, and we who live here and those who come visit, WE LIKE IT THAT WAY.lol There's plenty of places out there that People never set foot before even with the fair access we enjoy now.

Yet, Some out there want to close it all down, put up signs, and close our access so hardly a small percentage will ever again have use of what many thousands now enjoy.

Existing wilderness? great!
New wilderness or newly closed access by vehicle to what was once open and free to roam?, No thank you!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[piper]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-12-15 AT 02:05AM (MST)[p]Joey, the devil is in the details, wilderness is about 5 miles from my house, there Is also plenty of nonwilderness,and we like it that way. Different issues, different areas. The typical generic statements like Zigger quoted are what I dislike, no wilderness is not the "land of no use"/, and no we aren't "fenced out" of wilderness. Let's be intelligent grownups and have intelligent conversations without cheap political rhetoric.
Save that for our elected officials.

 

[sageadvice]

OK, You keep your wilderness, we have plenty of them here too, and i'll try to keep the Public lands currently open to the public at large, remaining open to the public at large.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[elkun]

never ever give the lands to the state .look at the school trust . oh they sold them!!!!!!

 

[RELH]

Sage that wilderness area Piper is talking about is area that non resident hunters cannot hunt without booking a guide or a resident getting a permit to take you in on a hunt.

RELH

 

[sageadvice]

Yep and he says the fence isn't up either. Imagine that!

There are those that are pushing hard for more designated Wilderness areas in this Country. I believe some wilderness is a good thing, let's keep those we have but keep yer paws off our "back yards"

Joey.


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Zeke]

You've got a few corporations and well-healed folks licking their chops because they KNOW that if the State owns the land that at some point it will be FOR SALE!
The losers will be all us little folk.
How long will it take before you start seeing the official "no Trespassing" signs? a nano-second?
Zeke

 

[piper]

RELH, the Wyoming law that says nonresidents can only hunt wilderness with a registered guide is a STATE law, in case you didn't know.

 

[sageadvice]

Exactly, Which is another reason that we should never allow our federal lands to be owned by the States.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[RELH]

Piper I am not as ignorant as you are, I know it is a state law that was pushed though to benefit a minority of people. Those people being the outfitters of Wyoming.
I have hunted that wilderness area near your home for elk and deer. I happen to know friends in your hometown that took us into the wilderness area.

RELH