Hey all, just wanted to put my 2 cents in about the current public land debate in the country, and how it relates to us.
As some may know, I work for a land management agency, and it pains me greatly to see what the bastards in Washington are doing to one of the greatest legacies this country has ever created: PUBLIC (meaning owned by the taxpyers) land.
Just as a background for some folks who dont know much about the issue, ill start with the history of land in America and how the public land idea came about.
History:
As the US was in the throws of westward expansion, the government sent out groups of army officers to explore and map the huge blank spot on the map that was the western United States. What these men found astonished them: vast expanses of old growth forest, fertile plains, endless mountain ranges, powerful rivers, pristine lakes.....
The officers reported back to Washington, and the word was soon spread throughout the East coast of the endless possibility for anyone to "make it" in the West.
The US government enacted the "Homstead Act" in 1862 which was created to expand our country and economy, by creating an infrastructure in the west. This act essentially would give 160 acres of federally owned land west of the Mississippi to any man who could build a structure and create "improvents" (farm land, mining, livestock grazing, ect.).
As one could imagine, this sent thousands of families packing across plains in search of their own little slice of American Apple pie.
The idea worked and many families settled. Too many families settled. This brought about the first land conservation movement in the US. Names like John Wesley Powell, Gifford Pinchot, and John Muir started to dot the newspapers. These men were in love with the environment, and wanted to protect some of the land before every last foot was under private ownership.
In 1872 Yellowstone national park was created by President Ulysses Grant. This was the first of its kind in the entire world. An area, protected under federal law, for the sole purpose of the enjoyment of the people.
Can you fucking imagine how much of an incredibly amazing idea that was in that time period?
The national park service was created, and to be run under the US Army. Actual soldiers patrolled Yellowstone and Yosemite until 1906 when the NPS was made into a separate government agency. Thats how important these areas were at the time. The millitary patrolled it.
Soon the Forest service was created in 1905 and protected millions of acres forest. This agency was originally created to oversee logging operations, and ensure the companies were paying taxes back to the government. However, they have turned into a for front in the land conservation movement.
In 1946 the Bureau of Land Management was created, to oversee all other federal land not controlled by the FS or NPS, and also to oversee mineral extraction from those lands.
The Opposition:
The whole "conservation" idea did not sit well with everyone. Some have even called it communism over the decades.
There have been many conservative politicians that have tried to get the Fed to turn the land back over to the states, citing executive overreach.
They essentially argue that the land owned by the Fed's should be turned over to the states because it should have become state land after the creation of state boundaries.
Figures like Rob Bishop (R-UT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have been prominent figures in the anit-public lands movement.
Notice all that Utah in there? There is allot of public land in Utah, and back in the day when Joseph Smith and Brigham Young though they could turn Utah into their own personal Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints "country", they were not happy to hear the federal government stand their ground in land ownership. The Army was eventually sent into Utah and forced Brigham out of state government, but that is a history lesson for another day. Point being, the Morman Church is not a friend of public lands.
The Sagebrush Rebellion:
Anyone remember the Malhuer Wildlife refuge incident in Oregon last year? The one where an armed group of protestors occupied a wildlife refuge for a month? Those were members of the sagebrush rebellion.
Although the moment had the most steam in the 70s-80s, it has been making a comeback. This is a group that does not recognize the power of the us government to own ANY land, and have used violent protest actions to prove their point many times. They are a borderline domestic terrorism group, and have been involved in murders, arson, destruction of property, and public official kidnapping. Think of them as the polar opposite of the ELF.
Ok, that was great and all, but why the fuck do I care?
Public lands and traveling, why you should give a shit:
When was the last time you made camp in a forest? Hit up the slabs? Thought about how beautiful that scenery was, while speeding through it at 60 mph on an IM?
All of this is made (partially) possible by public land. These are areas open to you, whether you like the government or not. Pay taxes or not. Follow politics or not.
Privatization of land will affect the way you travel, whether it be camping, accessing a yard, hitchhiking, getting to a creek for water, or finding a place to exist while houseless.
Trump, Zinke, and their cronies are going to fuck up everything our country has worked towards regarding public lands for the last century and a half.
I am calling on all of you to get involved with helping, in any way you can, even If it is just educating others, In protecting our public lands. They are in danger of mineral extraction, oil and gas exploration, over logging, and real estate.
If we do not resist, even places like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone will have "NO TRESSPASSING" signs hanging from the front doors.
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Let's get this debate started.
