Father Forkhorn

Here's an item of concern to all of us.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/...&lnk=read-more

Topgun 3006

It's a huge concern because a lot of the individual western states are also trying to get the Feds to sell or transfer the federal public lands so the states can control it. That means a fire sale to individual developers, oil/gas industries, etc., because there is no way an individual state can manage the huge amount of acreage out there such that there would still be the recreational opportunities out there that exist right now. It's almost all Republicans that are pushing this, but there are enough rouge Democrats in the mix to make it look like it will be a real fight over the next few years to keep OUR public land under the public trust the way it has always been.

flags

This isn't the only way the public loses land. Often the Forest Service will trade off a chunk of public land to a developer. This happened in my native CO earlier this year. Feds traded for a smaller parcel so a developer could have the bigger chunk to cover with concrete and houses. Doesn't make much sense.

Top is correct by the way that the states do not have the resources to take care of the huge amounts of land the Feds control. If the states do get ahold of it, there will be nothing to prevent them from selling it off to the highest bidder. As it is now, anyone in the nation can use the land. I don't want to see the West become privately held with little public land to hunt and fish on.

Oldtimr

The reason the states want the feds to deed over the federal land to the states is so it can be developed, that is for one reason only, developed land provides tax money to the local municipalities. What they don't think about is providing and maintaining infrastructure for the new developement will enentually surpass the tax dollars brought in. In PA, some counties with the help of willing legislators are trying to prevent the PA Game Commission from obtaining more state game lands. They are too stupid to realize if the land is developed, it will cost tem more than t does now. They do not have to plow roads on game lands, install and maintain water and sewer lines etc. The Game Commission pays an amount of money in lieu of taxes to the localmunicipalities and they do not have to do a thing to get it. This is all about the money in the form of taxes. When state and federal public land is gone, it is gone forever!

buffybr

Here in Montana we voted in a republican Senator, Steve Daines, to replace the retiring democrat, Max Bauccus. Daines sold out the sportsmen by voting for selling off federal lands.

The democrats want to take away our guns, now the republicans want to take away our public land. We're screwed!

Topgun 3006

That's putting it about as straight forward as you can put it! Daines is getting blasted all over the place out there for that turncoat vote, including the main press publications that endorsed him in the election!

colbycheese

Maybe American's will wake up and finally realize neither party has their interests at heart. I vowed a long time ago to NEVER vote for a dem or a repub....they're all bought and paid for by big money interests and corporations.

I'd rather waste my "vote" than vote for a shill.

buffybr

Unfortunately, in most elections, one of the major party candidates will be elected.

I'd rather vote for the "lesser of the two evils" than throw away my vote on a third party candidate that has no chance of being elected.

vapahunter

How do you know who is really the lesser of two evils until they are in office.

buffybr

Usually the lesser of the two evils has a (R) behind their name, however currently here in Montana some evil (R)s are appearing.