Dear Editor,
Why are our elected public servants so determined to take control of the land rightfully owned by all Americans? The very idea is deplorable and without rational merit: This land was acquired by the blood and money of many of our ancestors as the United States expanded its boundaries westward; land acquired for the benefit of all Americans “from sea to shining sea.”
The federal government, acting on behalf of the people, ceded much land to Western states through enabling acts, huge amounts to railroads and to regular people through homesteading and mining claims. The remaining land, managed for We, the People, has been available for multiple uses from energy and mineral resource extraction to logging, recreation, hunting, fishing and grazing. Some of our commons have been set aside as national parks and monuments – the value obvious in the skyrocketing visitation – We, the People consider public lands to be one of our greatest legacies. Given the record levels of domestic oil production and always-present cows, access doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for industry. Given the number of motorized visitors and miles driven recreationally, access doesn’t seem to be a problem there either. As a hunter, I haven’t found any access issues either – but in Utah, anglers have been denied river access – something that doesn’t happen on federally managed land – and guess what’s going to happen if Utah, known for exclusive fealty to oil, gas, coal and cows, takes greater control…
Keep Public Land In Public Hands.
