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I’m not an alarmist and work really hard to keep the “sky is falling” headlines at bay in my life. After 47 trips around the sun I’ve tried to adopt a “wait and see” mentality which has taken a lot of practice and which I’m still working on. So has been my approach to the spectre of public land sales these past few years. The topic comes up and it dies down and I’ve remained vigilant in my watch. However, it appears the time for vigilance and waiting and seeing has come to an abrupt end.
It’s not that I’ve never taken action. I’ve messaged and talked with my elected officials, making my stance on keeping public lands in public hands clear, it’s just that it’s never been an issue that dominates my views on conservation, wildlife management and hunting in general.
The bulk of my outdoor recreation takes place on public lands and I cherish them dearly. My family and I enjoy our time spent on public lands and we always leave them better than we found them, as being a good steward of creation is deeply rooted in my value set. I take pride in supporting organizations that work hard to maintain the rich heritage of public lands as well. I also am proud that the company I work for, Eastmans’ Media, works hand in hand with a passel of conservation groups like Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, TRCP, Mule Deer Foundation and others who fight the good fight to maintain and grow public access for hunters across the country.
However, this latest threat to public lands has moved me to do more, namely signing petitions and emailing/calling my elected representatives in Washington to clearly convey that public land is NOT for sale!
If you’d like to do the same I’ve included links below where you can easily contact your elected officials to voice your concerns and opinion as well.
While you’re at it I would encourage you to financially support organizations who fight the public land fight as well.
It’s about time! I’ve been telling you for weeks to speak out!
Robert,
I appreciate your passion and I replied to the email you sent a few weeks back. As I stated then, supporting public access and protecting public lands is and always will be a top priority for all of us here at Eastmans’. We just choose to work quietly, channeling our efforts where they are most effective and not tooting our own horn just to gain views by spreading fear over issues that may or may not come to pass. However, you are correct and the time has come to speak up. Thank you again for your passion and voice.
Hey Todd, appreciate the insight. (former Yooper here like yourself)
While I generally agree that the selling of public lands is bad, I think what would be more helpful are specifics; if you can provide us actual bills or actual sales that have happened in the past that have negatively impacted we as outdoorsmen, that would help a lot as we make arguments to officials about not repeating past mistakes. Obviously not all land is the same. I’ve heard some folks, in Michigan’s DNR for example, explain that it’s not uncommon for the state to sell certain public lands so they can buy other more favorable land (for outdoor recreation). I don’t think all sales are bad, but I do know that we need to keep politicians in-check…so specific examples that you oppose would be very helpful. Thanks!
Jarrod,
Public land swaps and transfers take place all the time and are too numerous to list. However, what I’m referring to in this blog is the legislation passed last week by the House Natural Resources Committee and the proposed sale of 460,000 acres of Federal land in Nevada and Utah. Unfortunately, Wyoming is eyeballing the same. While this legislation has a long way to go before making it a reality, the slippery slope has been stepped upon.