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Our Public Lands Not for Sale Your Lands, Your Future

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Our Public Lands Not for Sale Your Lands, Your Future OUR PUBLIC LANDS NOT FOR SALE YOUR LANDS, YOUR FUTURE YOUR PUBLIC LANDS YOUR FUTURE As a citizen of the United States, you are part owner of the largest piece of public real estate in the world: California’s Sierra Nevada; redrock canyons and arid basins of Utah and Nevada; the Cascades of Oregon and Washington; the Rockies of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana; the tundra and rainforests of Alaska; vast stretches of the Appalachians and the North Woods of the Midwest and New England. They belong to you. White River National Forest, Colorado. Jodi Stemler When you and your family grow weary This is particularly true out West: Yet today, forces are at work to dismantle of your job or urban living, you are free More than two-thirds of this legacy. In doing so, they would to pack up your gear and wander in a also undermine the very foundation of way that is utterly unique in the modern hunters in the 11 western America’s outdoor heritage. world. states depend on public We cannot let that happen. Relying on public lands and waters, you lands for all or part of their may catch big bass in Florida, hunt elk in Idaho, call for wild turkeys in Tennessee hunting. This includes both Without public land we would or chase ruffed grouse in Maine. Not resident and non-resident be out of business, in fact, everyone in the United States can afford we would have never gotten to own a private ranch or a membership hunters. into business because there in an exclusive hunt club. But we ALL In addition, many of our most highly would be no reason to make share the legacy of public land. prized big game species, such as elk, hunting clothes if only a select bighorn sheep and mule deer, as well Our public lands are essential for hunters few could participate. The as some of our finest fisheries, depend and anglers. Not just today, but for the primarily on public lands. opportunity for individuals future. Across America, the top reason to access beautiful and wild that hunters and anglers give up these Today’s outdoor families stand on places in an equitable manner activities is because of loss of access to the shoulders of giants like Theodore is one of the core American quality habitat. Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and George Bird Grinnell who had the vision to values that enriches the As access to private lands declines protect our public land legacy more than quality of life for all. and farms are being converted to strip a century ago. malls and subdivisions, more and more Kenton Carruth sportsmen are looking to public lands for Founder, First Lite. Ketchum, Idaho their outdoor experience. Pack string crossing John’s Creek in Idaho’s NezPerce/Clearwater National Forest Mike Hanna YOUR LANDS, YOUR FUTURE WHERE WE HUNT AND FISH 69% of hunters hunt on public lands in the West Outdoor Recreation Supports: $646 Billion in Revenues 6.1 Million Jobs YOUR LANDS, YOUR FUTURE THE THREAT TO OUR PUBLIC LANDS For fiscal year 2013, the budget developed by Congressman Paul Ryan, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, proposed selling “millions of acres of unneeded federal land” for deficit reduction. This concept was carried forward in the Disposal of Excess Federal Lands Act of 2013 that “directs the Secretary of the Interior to offer for disposal by competitive sale certain federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming,” and requires “the net proceeds from the sale to be deposited directly into the Treasury for reduction of the public debt.” While so many sportsmen In Congress, some representatives But they share a common feature: They have proposed selling off federal would wrest the public estate from its value our public land lands under the auspices of paying owners, the American people. They leave legacy, some politicians down the federal deficit. Some no guarantees that our access to hunting ideologically driven attorneys argue and fishing would be maintained in either and special interests are that it is unconstitutional for the federal the short or long term. working to dismantle it. government to hold land, other than in Let’s be clear: Public land management Washington, D.C. and military bases. does face serious challenges. It is easy Resolution approved by the Other local politicians are exploiting to be frustrated with federal land Republican National Party on grievances over federal management, management decisions, in particular January 24, 2014 saying that the Forest Service is a failure because our passions over public lands “RESOLVED, That the Republican and pushing to have federal lands turned run so high. Americans agree that local National Committee calls upon over to the states. experts and scientific management, not all national and state leaders and There is nothing new about this. Some Beltway politicians, should set the future representatives to exert their of the same economic forces and special of our public lands. utmost power and influence to urge interests vigorously protested Theodore the imminent transfer of public We can do better. But wholesale transfer Roosevelt when he established the public lands to all willing western states for and liquidation of the public estate is not estate a century ago. the benefit of these western states the answer. and for the nation as a whole.” Specific proposals about “transferring” or privatizing public land vary in details. Federal Land Transfer - Not Much of a Bargain Proponents of a federal land transfer are pushing for management under the direction of state trust land boards. While state trust lands serve an important role throughout the West, state lands are not always open for public recreation or managed for multiple-use as federal public lands are. In addition, without federal support, states would not be able to handle the costs of managing the lands transferred to them. As a result, many acres would be sold – a one-time boon to the budget, but the long-term economic benefits of recreation and the environmental values of water quality and quantity would be lost. State StatesHeld werethe Public mandate grantedrevenue. that,trust Landswere Millions first lands soldisn’t and atoff.of a statehoodacres foremost,priorityOnis allowed, remaining of originaloruse withthey guaranteed. usersthe lands,generate costsstateland. generally recreational $1.35Inlands grazingWhere addition, perpaymore leasespublic animalfor while access the expensive. accesson unitprivilegegrazing state per and onanimal to federalprivate unit landslands month are (AUM), significantly FederalThe federalFundsfunding governmentreceive to for statesthose paymentsPublic withdedicates landsforest federal in were Lands significantlieu fireother public ofprivately suppression, the costs. control,lands. property Ifowned, States landsnatural this road taxes funding werenot theresourcemaintenance toif transferredextra mention would expenses.budgets disappear and to statesimply and couldn’t Sportsmenstate handleMost sportsmenWithout Needsportsmen public in the Publicstate landWest would economiesfor dependhundreds hunting have Landsthat on nowhere wouldofand public sportsmen millions fishing,every lose lands. to goyear.theof these spenddollarsand our Original Grazing Grazing Fees Payments in Federal Costs Percent of Land Current Fees on on Private Lieu of Taxes for of Fire Suppres- State Natural Number of Hunters who Spending Grant Land State Lands Lands Federal Lands sion in State Resource Department Hunters and Hunt on in State by (acres) Holdings Public Access to State Lands 2013 2013 FY 2014 FY 2012 Budget Anglers Public Land Sportsmen Most state trust lands are leased for agriculture, energy or commercial $262.6 million for Depart- 2.9 million use. Colorado Parks & Wildlife leases 4.5 million $10.85/AUM $17.50/AUM $34.5 million $92 million ment of Natural Resources, 919,000 54% $1.3 billion Colorado acres approximately 20 percent for wildlife-related FY 2012 recreation. State trust lands are generally not open for other forms of recreation. State trust land in Idaho is open to the public 2.4 million $237.2 million for Natural 3.6 million at no charge. The State Land Board continues $6.36/AUM $15.50/AUM $28.6 million $169 million 534,000 66% $1.02 billion acres Resources, FY 2013 Idaho to auction land in popular recreation areas. The two-thirds of state trust lands that have $126.5 million for legal public access are open to recreation Departments of Natural 5.1 million through a fee added to all hunting and fishing Montana 5.9 million $9.94/AUM $21.00/AUM $28.8 million $103 million Resources & Conservation 335,000 81% $983 million acres licenses that pays the State Land Board for and Fish, Wildlife & Parks, access. A state recreational access license is FY 2013 required for all other forms of recreation. $146.3 million for Nevada has sold the vast majority of state None due to Department of Nevada 2.7 million 3,000 acres trust lands and the remainder is used solely to limited state trust $15.00/AUM $25.4 million $33 million Conservation and Natural 163,000 79% $409 million generate revenue. acres. Resources and Wildlife, FY 2013-2014 The New Mexico Game and Fish Department $109.1 million for the Energy, New Mexico has purchased easements from the State Land Minerals and Natural 13 million 9 million acres Board for recreation on state trust lands where $3.21/AUM $13.00/AUM $37.7 million $86 million Resources Department and 304,000 88% $579 million recreation is compatible with other, Department of Game & Fish, higher-priority uses. FY 2013 Oregon’s state trust lands are all open for $1.76 billion for all Natural Oregon 3.4 million 776,000 acres public recreational use $8.48/AUM (2012) $15.00/AUM $17.7 million $94.5 million Resource Programs, 703,000 67% $929 million unless otherwise posted.
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