DesertRose
Safari Chick & Supporting Sponsor
Although there is often a lot of discussion on forums such as Expedition Portal about so-called lefty-greenies trying to shut down or limit our access to public land, we have a new threat that's no longer lurking. It's here.
Our own federal government has proposed - I love this, "in the name of protecting children in rural schools" - selling off over 300,000 acres of our public lands. The legislation is in circulation.
I haven't had time to look at all the proposed parcels (they can change), and not all of the information is online yet, but so far when I looked up for example what's slated for possible sale in Gallatin National Forest in Montana, there are some sweet pieces on the Gallatin River, not so far from Bozeman that some Friend of the Administration couldn't pick it up at auction, say, and put in some nice condos for fast turnaround. In Arizona, there are some parcels up just east of Flagstaff on the Kaibab NF - again, they are gateway properties to access wilder places.
And do we think these new owners will allow us to keep accessing National Forest land across their spiffy new "ranch" properties? No - they will close roads.
Yes, some of the parcels on the surface might look like it's a good idea to sell because they've got little towns now around them, or are off big roads now. But with population growing, Baby Boomers retiring, and moving out into rural places, if we keep selling off public land that's impacted by growth, we'll have nothing left in 50 years.
At stake: 300,000 plus acres of USFS lands plus the idea of sellign BLM lands to reduce the deficit. (Selling our public land legacy to make up for bad management and planning? Yikes!). It's the precedent that's scary: we just can't start now, or they'll never stop.
The rather poor website for this proposal is at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/rural_schools.shtml
If you feel strongly about protecting our right to keep public land public, send an email to the USFS. Dale Bosworth is the Chief.
SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us
or
Fax the USFS 202-205-1604
Regular mail
USDA Forest Service
SRS Comments
Lands 4S
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Mailstop 1124
Washington DC 20250-0003
Congressional switchboard 202-224-3121 to leave a message for your federal elected offcicials. or use these links to look up your reps and senators and give them an email or fax or letter or call.
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Here's a copy of the letter we sent. Feel free to cut and paste (just remember to change the names!):
30 March 2006
Dale Bosworth
US Forest Service
Washington DC
Dear Mr. Bosworth:
We are hunters and anglers dedicated to passing on America's outdoor heritage, we must write to object to recent proposals to sell off portions of America's most prized natural assets — our public lands.
It has come to our attention that the Bush Administration has submitted a proposal in its upcoming budget that would amend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 to allow payment under the Act to continue for an additional five years by selling US Forest Service lands.
We are Republicans, and committed to nearly all conservative values—including conserving our natural resources. We are founding members of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a national non-profit sportsmen's conservation group with members in 22 states. We are adamantly opposed to this proposal and the sale of 304,370 acres of national forests.
We are intimately familiar with the public lands and we know first-hand that the parcels slated for possible sale are used for hunting, fishing, camping and to access our lands and water.
We cherish the ability and freedom to enjoy our public lands. America's tradition of public-land-access for hunting, angling and other recreation is the epitome of our unique and successful North American model of natural resource management. This separates us from our European counterparts who may only participate in such activities based upon who they know and how much money they have in order to have access to open landscapes.
Selling public lands to pay for programs or to pay down the debt is bad policy. Actually, we strongly feel public land should never be sold., or only sold when there is a tangible conservation benefit.
Please do everything in your power to stop these misguided efforts. Our children and grandchildren will thank you for it.
Sincerely,
Jonathan and Roseann Hanson
Altar Valley, Arizona (SW of Tucson)
Our own federal government has proposed - I love this, "in the name of protecting children in rural schools" - selling off over 300,000 acres of our public lands. The legislation is in circulation.
I haven't had time to look at all the proposed parcels (they can change), and not all of the information is online yet, but so far when I looked up for example what's slated for possible sale in Gallatin National Forest in Montana, there are some sweet pieces on the Gallatin River, not so far from Bozeman that some Friend of the Administration couldn't pick it up at auction, say, and put in some nice condos for fast turnaround. In Arizona, there are some parcels up just east of Flagstaff on the Kaibab NF - again, they are gateway properties to access wilder places.
And do we think these new owners will allow us to keep accessing National Forest land across their spiffy new "ranch" properties? No - they will close roads.
Yes, some of the parcels on the surface might look like it's a good idea to sell because they've got little towns now around them, or are off big roads now. But with population growing, Baby Boomers retiring, and moving out into rural places, if we keep selling off public land that's impacted by growth, we'll have nothing left in 50 years.
At stake: 300,000 plus acres of USFS lands plus the idea of sellign BLM lands to reduce the deficit. (Selling our public land legacy to make up for bad management and planning? Yikes!). It's the precedent that's scary: we just can't start now, or they'll never stop.
The rather poor website for this proposal is at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/rural_schools.shtml
If you feel strongly about protecting our right to keep public land public, send an email to the USFS. Dale Bosworth is the Chief.
SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us
or
Fax the USFS 202-205-1604
Regular mail
USDA Forest Service
SRS Comments
Lands 4S
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Mailstop 1124
Washington DC 20250-0003
Congressional switchboard 202-224-3121 to leave a message for your federal elected offcicials. or use these links to look up your reps and senators and give them an email or fax or letter or call.
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Here's a copy of the letter we sent. Feel free to cut and paste (just remember to change the names!):
30 March 2006
Dale Bosworth
US Forest Service
Washington DC
Dear Mr. Bosworth:
We are hunters and anglers dedicated to passing on America's outdoor heritage, we must write to object to recent proposals to sell off portions of America's most prized natural assets — our public lands.
It has come to our attention that the Bush Administration has submitted a proposal in its upcoming budget that would amend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 to allow payment under the Act to continue for an additional five years by selling US Forest Service lands.
We are Republicans, and committed to nearly all conservative values—including conserving our natural resources. We are founding members of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a national non-profit sportsmen's conservation group with members in 22 states. We are adamantly opposed to this proposal and the sale of 304,370 acres of national forests.
We are intimately familiar with the public lands and we know first-hand that the parcels slated for possible sale are used for hunting, fishing, camping and to access our lands and water.
We cherish the ability and freedom to enjoy our public lands. America's tradition of public-land-access for hunting, angling and other recreation is the epitome of our unique and successful North American model of natural resource management. This separates us from our European counterparts who may only participate in such activities based upon who they know and how much money they have in order to have access to open landscapes.
Selling public lands to pay for programs or to pay down the debt is bad policy. Actually, we strongly feel public land should never be sold., or only sold when there is a tangible conservation benefit.
Please do everything in your power to stop these misguided efforts. Our children and grandchildren will thank you for it.
Sincerely,
Jonathan and Roseann Hanson
Altar Valley, Arizona (SW of Tucson)
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