Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Federal Lands in the West

The 8 western states are talking about creating a compact to deal with the land...and that scares me. As near as I can figure out, it will be like many of our federal agencies - run by unelected officials and not answerable to the people.
I'm fuzzy about what all this entails, but you can google 'interstate compact' for more info.

Yup, and I'll be glad it's still there even when I can't hunt it any more.

Yeah, its great to turn off a highway and be able to drive 50 miles either east or west and not go through a private fence. I can't say just 'fence' because the FS and BLM do have fences for grazing allotments but we're free to cross them at any time.

Our Senator, Steve Daines, flip-flopped on this issue and was the deciding vote to help Murkowski's bill pass. I'm going to do everything I can to see that he is thrown out on his azz. A traitor to Montana and Montana Sportsmen.

This is what I'm thinking. I can hunt, shoot and ride dirt bikes within 20 minutes of my house. The hunting isn't great but it's there. I have heard from Californians that move to Texas and are hard pressed to find any public land to shoot or hunt on.

Why comparisons of western states that have a huge amount of public land and "Texas" are made is beyond my scope of understanding.

If they decided to sell it ALL off, who, besides another country would have funds to buy vast expanses of land that cannot be developed and then subdivide it, fence it, and post it for trespass?

I think the question at hand is the MANAGEMENT of public lands. (Or the mis-management, as it seems to be in recent years.)

As stated early on, a system of checks and balances has to be initiated to insure the land cannot ever be sold, and access by the public remains irrevocable.

Panic and entitlement sure causes some folks to run off the road.

Think Hollywood. It's full of very wealthy anti-hunting greenies. If the land was available, they have the cash to buy huge chunks and just close it off.

Obama can do that with the stroke of a pen.

"A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park, but can be created from any land owned or controlled by the federal government by proclamation of the President of the United States."

The liberals don't even need to buy it now to close it off and post it against public trespass...

They just petition Sally Jewell with the boundaries they want closed down, and her boss signs an executive order.

I am sure some would be bought by the greenies, at least it would cost them money, it doesn't now. Think monuments. I am sure Senator Reid would sell some to his Chinese friends, and I am sure some of you would lose your hunting spots. It is already happening thru out the west. There are millions of acres out there and I don't think they could get it sold. Some states like my home state would probably tie it up so you couldn't hunt, hell they are trying to get rid of the hunters now. I am not sure if I favor state control, I do know the feds have done a piss poor job of management. I see two sides of this coin as I am a hunter and also a cattleman and a would be logger. I am 69 years old so I am not going to get to damn excited about it. Ed

"On Friday, President Obama designated 350,000 acres of national forest just north of Los Angeles as the newest monument of his administration.
The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument extends across the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, and will protect a watershed that serves as a source of water for one-third of Los Angeles’ population and a swath of outdoor space that’s crucial to the residents of Los Angeles County.
The designation of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument marks the 13th time that President Obama has used his authority to create or expand a national monument. Obama has created 12 monuments throughout the U.S., and expanded the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to 490,000 square miles — six times its original size.
President George W. Bush used his monument-making power five times while he was in office, while President Bill Clinton created 19 monuments. According to the White House, however, President Obama has now used his powers under the Antiquities Act to protect more than 260 million acres of land and water, which is more than any other President since 1906."

National Monumnet status is what worries me the most....BUT

there are at least 3 kinds...

the Park Service kind, managed by the park Service, more or less under Park Service rules (no guns, no hunting, etc)

BLM National Monuments (these have hunting, grazing, etc, no new mining, I think)

Forest Service National Monuments, like San Gabriel mentioned above.

That one is brand new, and I am not sure what the new rules are, or how much they differ from what was in place before. That close to LA, maybe not much.

In the forest here around Flagstaff, there is a buffer around town, in state, private and FS land, where there is no shooting, and no firearms hunting (archery is open).

So the forest around LA, ( I think that monument was part of the Angles NF) might have had a bunch of restrictions on it before. I do not know, maybe someone from the area can chime in.

One thing I have seen monument status do is bring more people in. people want to go someplace "special" and monument status brings them in. Which is good for the tourist related businesses, not as good for me, looking to get away from people.

Sycamore

If nothing else, you guys have to realize that Obama and Jay Z are calling those shots over a bottle of Hennessy and a side of ribs.

Same restrictions as far as buffer zones go in the Angeles, no shooting within city limits, 1/4 mile of a structure. It is interesting that the National Monument does not include the entire Angeles. It stops at Mt. Baldy and basically stays in L.A.County. I also wonder what impact this will have on the designated Wilderness areas or if they stay the same.

When they made Brown's Canyon a national monument recently here in CO, the hue and cry about "being shut out" was deafening. From people unfamiliar with the monument designation.

USFS took over management, all current policies on hunting, grazing, and other uses were kept intact, and not only were existing roads kept, but new roads were not ruled out.

It's not just that they are salivating over. Think "snow pack". If they buy the areas where the snow pack falls, then they own that "hard asset" and can remove it before it thaws into the flowing water that other folks have rights/ownership in. It's called "prior appropriation" and hard asset mining.

Don't try to make sense. It doesn't work here.

All those that want sell off, can expect to add a 0 plus to their western big game tags if it happens. You like private, high fences, and high dollar hunts. Go to Texas.

I thought colorado was texass..

At least during hunting season... (grin)