Should We Sell Public Land For Housing?

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog are those of the author and NOT Eastmans’ Hunting Journals as a whole. 

There’s a lot of hubbub right now regarding the sale of public lands. It seems that the Trump administration is spitballing the idea of selling select parcels of federally-owned property in order to bolster housing in areas such as Cody and Jackson, Wyoming. 

At first blush this idea is bad. It seems like an effort to gut the great inheritance of our public lands and eviscerate American’s access to hunting, fishing and otherwise enjoying the lands we own. However…

Folks not being able to find or afford housing where they work and have built lives is an issue that deserves creative solutions girded by thoughtful discourse and study. 

Simply put, we need public lands AND more housing for the ever-growing American population. This is not an easy conundrum to solve and I do not know the answer. 

What I do know is that all or nothing approaches to any of life’s difficulties are rarely the best approach. 

Divesting of all Federally owned public lands to States is clearly not a good idea as States will likely not have the resources to manage these lands, and will be forced to sell them and as we all know, once it’s gone it won’t be given back. 

America’s public lands; National Forest, BLM and National Parks, are treasures and the product of forward thinking giants such as Theodore Roosevelt. These lands hold a wealth of resources that can and should be wisely managed for multiple uses. Think hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, motor-sports, grazing, logging, mining and… limited development. The key to all of this is wise stewardship that utilizes the resources while maintaining their conservation with an eye on the future. 

Do I support conservation of wildlife migration corridors and other pristine and/or sensitive habitats on public land? Absolutely! We must protect the gift of public lands for our present and future generations. 

Should the Federal government conduct feasibility studies and consider selling certain parcels for housing development on suitable public lands? Yes. 

I honestly believe that we can do both and I know that my, “having the cake and eating it too” viewpoint runs counter to popular opinion regarding public land. I also fully concede that selling public land is a slippery slope. We cannot sit idly by and think our elected officials have our best interests at heart. Stewardship comes with responsibility and that responsibility demands vigilance and involvement. 

In today’s world of 24/7 electronic stimulation it’s hard to maintain a level head and not lose ourselves to knee jerk reactions and all or nothing group think. The public land conversation is more complex than that and the hunting community needs to be in clear and constant communication of our wishes to those representing us at the State and Federal levels. Therefore, reach out to your State and Federal Congressmen and Senators to express your thoughts and concerns about your public lands. 

As always, I welcome your opinion. 

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