Originally Posted by Dave_Skinner
Pointer,
The fact remains that you used a terrible example to narrate the "states will sell" story. I'm fortunate in that I've been able to actually see these places, talk to the managers in rather formal contexts.
What I resent the most is that many people will take your assertion at face value because it does take a lot of effort to actually verify reality. A good sound bite, passed on to lazy, ignorant "media" by a savvy fib-teller, does an incredible amount of damage over time.
I've been on the press meat wagon, with credentials, and been horrified at what passes for professional conduct from bylined, credentialed people. You know about guns, right? And you know how "reporters" tell THAT story, who gets quoted or is treated like an expert? Do gun control stories in your view have ANY relationship to reality?
Well, guess what? Natural resource issues are similarly distorted.



Like you, I'm also fortunate to talk to folks who see this from a formal context. Lots of forestry friends, my Dad/Uncles/brother were/are loggers, my step-father was a trained forester, and I get to walk these public lands half the year. I do agree that natural resource issues are similarly distorted. I'll provide some facts/links below that seem to paint a more complete story and removes a bit of the distortion I see.

Here's a better "States will sell" fact. All fact. If you believe history is good for predicting the future, then this might be relevant. If you don't place any value on history, then disregard.

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Curious if you have an explanation to the NRA that upon the realization of the Utopian idea of State Transfer, hundreds of millions of acres will be off limits to recreational shooting. Right now, some BLM and USFS land that are high use have restricted shooting. The rest of those lands are open to recreational shooting. That will not be the case when these lands are transferred to State Land Boards.

Here is what is considered trespassing on Arizona State Land Board lands, the agency that would take over 24 million acres of BLM and USFS lands located in AZ. Note that target shooting is considered trespassing. Best not walk your dog. And if you accidentally blade an acre of state land without authorization, it seems the price per acre penalty is a little over $22,000. Wonder what happens when you accidentally let a cow graze there, or cut a tree there. Imagine if the BLM issued a $6MM fine for blading some Federal land. The wrath of the Utah-Montana mafia would be in full force.

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As a media guy supposedly so informed and ready to tell complete stories, why are you not pushing the State Transfer politicians to explain to use hunters and shooters that their idea of State Transfer will make millions of acres off limits for those of us who recreational shoot?

As an Endowment level donor to the NRA, I've been keeping them informed of what State Transfer means to shooters. I struggle to see the NRA siding with the folks who promote an idea that would close hundreds of millions of acres to recreational shooting. Seems a good journalist who stated what you did above would not leave out such a huge piece of the story so important to a group of shooters as is found here on 24HCF.

Colorado has 23 million acres of BLM and USFS lands currently open to hunting, fishing, shooting, hiking. If the pipe dream of State Transfer was to put those lands in the hands of the Colorado State Land Board, every acre would be off limits for those activities. Right from the Colorado State Land Board website.

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Currently, New Mexico has 23 million acres of BLM and USFS lands on which I can shoot. Give it to the New Mexico State Land Board under the notion of State Transfer and those lands are no longer public and no longer open to recreational shooting. NM State Land Board wants you to know that the lands they hold are not public, so they put this information at the bottom of their website pages.

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And the Utah State Land Board has been selling their lands, lands also off limits to shooters, and they are selling the best of the best when measure from a hunting and access perspective. But, don't write and ask for any information or they will call you out on their Facebook page to remind you that property held by the Utah State Land Board is not public land. Straight from their FB page. Another 31 million acres of BLM and USFS lands on which I can currently shoot that would become off limits for the kids plinking their .22s.

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Maybe these will be dismissed as more bad examples of the train wreck being promoted as State Transfer.

The current system needs a lot of improvement, but transferring lands to State Land Boards that do not recognize these as public lands and restricts many activities we all enjoy is hardly the solution. I find it strange that so many arguing as you have do not bring up these other issues that don't support the "trees don't burn on State Trust Lands" ideology.

In the past you've tagged me as the Sitka wearing desk driver who cares nothing about folks who make a living on the public lands. Here's a picture my brother sent me yesterday, showing his logging operation. I was the worst logger in our family so I had to find a way to pay for college, which I did by trapping and working graveyard shift in a sawmill.

[Linked Image]


Carry on ......

My name is Randy Newberg and I approved this post. What is written is my opinion, and my opinion only.

"Hunt when you can. You're gonna run out of health before you run out of money."