I wrote the following editorial for my local paper, and include it now in my much neglected blog.
On March 26th, the US senate passed SA 838, a budget
amendment enabling the sale and transfer of federal public lands in a 51-49
vote. The reasoning behind this effort is that the land is mismanaged by the
Feds, that some land is "excess," and that the sale could be used to
pay off the national debt. With an outdoor industry that generates 6 billion
dollars annually and supports 6.1 million jobs, this is an absurd way to reduce
the debt, as any business owner can tell you that you don't sell off the tools
of your trade in order to pay your rent. Not if you want to stay in business.
As an outdoorsman I'd hope that the unique American legacy of protecting wild
places for the enjoyment and education of its citizens would continue in
perpetuity, and I am simply horrified at this narrow and short sighted
proposal. In a society where very little
is available for free, access to public land remains a birthright and refuge
that anyone can enjoy, regardless of income level. It isn't difficult to imagine who would
benefit the most from such sales and transfers (sponsors include folks with
close ties to oil and mining interests), but it is clear to me that once
enacted we will never get those lands back. The problems that are mentioned in
the proposals have a basis in reality, but the principle of land being held for
the benefit of all is not the problem, and selling it out from under the public
is clearly not the solution. Please let your representative know that you
oppose such irreversible measures to alleviate temporary problems.