Opinion: Why are public lands public?
By William H. Meadows
As the Republican presidential nomination process moves on to the states of Nevada and Colorado, a new topic has arisen in a race that has already seen many twists and turns. That issue is the purpose and importance of public lands. In a recent interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the leading contender for the GOP nomination, was quoted as saying, in reference to the large acreage of public land in the state, “I don’t know why the government owns so much of this land.” As an organization whose mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places, I think it is important to answer the governor’s query for all people who enjoy and benefit from our public lands.
Our public lands, which include national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and national wilderness areas, among others, are vital to America’s economy. Through recreation, such as hunting, fishing and hiking, and tourism, our public lands contribute over $1 trillion to the nation, not to mention millions of jobs.
Public lands provide much of our clean drinking water and without protection, much of it might be contaminated. Our public lands have also played an extremely important role in energy development, and the economic importance that comes with it. Oil and gas exploration could not have exploded the way it did during the early 20th century without our public lands, and now as we move forward in the 21st century, public lands can help us advance renewable energy development. Public lands provide some of the best places in the world for solar and wind energy and the energy self-dependence that the United States needs.
William H. Meadows is the president of The Wilderness Society.
The problem, if there is one, which is, perhaps, questionable, is the extremely high percentage of land that is ‘owned’ by the BLM and the Forest Service. Some would say that much is mis-managed.
The percentage under control of those two agencies is very high in NEVADA.
Perhaps Mr. Meadows can explain why the those two agencies should own and control a combined 76% of Nevada? Some organizations seem to feel that 99% of all the land in the USA should be ‘public’. OK, so I AM exaggerating.
I don’t really have any problem with the rest of what he wrote.
My percentage figures were taken off the Internet from official government sites.
I could open a Pandora’s Box here, and mention what many think is the real goal of such as the League to Save Lake Tahoe, and a few others: Get rid of anything that is not in a primeval forest situation.
There needs to be a compromise between public access, need for businesses and homes, etc. Not everyone wants to live in a cabin in the woods (if even that would be acceptable to some groups!) with no ‘improvements’ such as running water, sewers, electricity.
Well, time to go pound some of the huge Winter snowpack…yes, on public lands, ‘rented’ to a business for the purpose of skiing.
Meadows, interesting name for the head of the Wilderness Society, makes assertion after assertion without backing any of them up. He especially avoids using factual data like the west is between 70 and 90 percent owned by the feds, not the public. Has anybody checked lately all the insane rules the feds have to prevent using their land?
Oh, I forget, the feds can’t do anything wrong. Just look how well they did with the Angora Fire and its aftermath.
If only the the great white father owned everything the country would be just wonderful and sublime.
Public lands exist because over 100 years ago folks realized that capitalism does not protect what are “common” basic life supporting needs. Private property can not give the nation clean air, clean water, adequae timber resources and a host of other natural resources where a purely free-economically driven model results in liquidation of the resource. Just think how much someone would pay sy to hunt the last of something? Just think how much gasoline is going to make oil companies as the exploit the last of it? In another vein, why should a corporation spend its money on reducing emmissions from a plant it owns, reducing its own profits, when the benefit is spread among others and only marginally beneficial to stockholders, perhaps not till after they are dead and their only possible direct interest is the affect on their decendents that they may care less about! The same goes with soil conservation that is critical to growing food – has anyone ever heard of the dust bowl days and do they understand the causes and what solutions helped slow the decline of soil productivity? No probably not, because most people think their food comes from the grocery store!
One can gripe all they want about government mis-management, but without it we would all be wearing gas masks in our cities and suffering unimaginable rates of disease (as though they are not high enough already!) – it has really little to do with “everyone wanting to live in the woods” as suggested above!
Citizen Kane, well stated. I think Ronald Reagan sold all of America out to the $$Corps$$ with his bogus 9 words “I’m from the gov’t and I’m here to help” campaign slogan 30 yrs. ago. The 1% ers have since then successfully purchased our government and media and have the Big Boot on the neck of labor and will not relent until we work for pennies. That’s the free market unregulated capitalism’s only goal and profit over people is their mantra. Nothing is Ever going to trickle down to the brain-scrubbed foxNfriends delusional rushbots but they blindly soldier on in pursuit of some crumbs… and are thankful to their masters for them. Pitiful excuses for American citizens.
Some people don’t seem to be in the right century let alone the right decade.
The sellout of America is coming from the government and the crony capitalism from the leftists.
Some people are just self-absorbed whiney jerks.
Smed,
Don’t be so hard on youself.
It’s probably genetic. You could look into therapy.
JoeStirumTV, Newt Gingrich is you.
Lets all keep pointing at each other, and not call the real culprits out.
It must be you or me that’s caused all that’s wrong in this country, it certainly couldn’t be all those good hearted corporations and public officials at the top!
The existing corporatocracy, completely supported and funded by the cons since FDR’s “New Deal”, exists because of the people I have been pointing my finger at since reagan. There was No false equivalency with the DEMs until that buffoon sold everyone out at the behest of his “advisors”
Why do you lefties have to keep looking back and placing blame on the past instead of dealing with the problem of NOW? Corporatocracy? Who has given more tax-payers’ hard earned money to corporations than OBAMA has????? Seriously!
Dogwoman,
I see it’s the same ol’ same ol’
…with some people that are clueless and point to a president from the distant past to blame the problems brought on by the president of today it’s just more evidence that you just can’t fix stupid.
Let it rant on the past – you are to good of a thinker to get caught up with the crud… .
Same ol’ same ol’ worn out puffer
There is just 0 response I can come up with to the true foxNfriends/limbot believers. I don’t think “common ground” is possible with the walking brain-dead faithful.
PubWorksTV, We can’t miss you if you won’t go away.