Federal Public Land at risk again!

[packgoatguy]

Just came across this news article from this morning. An Idaho Rep wants to give Federal Public Land over to the state.

Rep. Fulcher proposes exploration of transferring Idaho federal land to state and local control - East Idaho News

WASHINGTON (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher said he is convening meetings statewide to explore transferring management and ownership of the Gem State’s vast federal public lands to state and local governments. The Republican congressman on Monday sent a letter to Idaho...

www.eastidahonews.com

 

[HunterGatherer]

Taken at face value, he makes a lot of great points- specifically that the Feds have mismanaged the federal lands within Idaho, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Then he goes on to say this :

Sounds great but I wonder if these ideas are just a way to sell the plan to congress and Idaho citizens and then once the deal is done all of the land gets raped by commercial interests without regard or due consideration to user groups such as sportsmen, just to make up Idaho’s budget shortfalls. Sounds like potentially cashing in our children’s inheritance to benefit ourselves to some degree. Did Mike Lee use similar wording to justify his efforts?

 

[BuckSmasher]

HARD no. I live in his district. Is there a form letter we can send. His primary opponent just won my vote if/when he is primaried.

 

[Brap01]

I live in Idaho and work for a federal agency as a Forester. I've worked as a Forester since 2008 in Private, State and Federal jobs.

Federal land management is inefficient, mostly due to environmental law, federal regulations and agency internal policy. Some of this is to give the public a chance to be involved in the decision making, and the anti management crowd puts their money where their mouth is. They sue all kinds of forest management, road building, and recreational projects to stop that work. I don't like it but this is "the public" being involved in the process.

I think IDL (the state timber management agency) could do a better job managing SOME of the Forest Service lands (lands that have good timber and access to sawmills within a reasonable haul distance).

The state would lose money on virtually ALL BLM lands and the majority of lands in Eastern / Southern Idaho. The ground is not productive, very remote, with poor infrastructure. Not to mention wildfires. On a recent big fire the was $6,000 per acre burnt just for suppression. That doesn't include fixing roads, planting trees, cleaning up fuels etc.

I fear the state would try to sell land or make citizens pay for access to state lands (like Washington State does).

I don't know what the answer is but there are some things to consider.

 

[packgoatguy]

As much as I don't trust the Feds to do things right... I trust the States even less. Sure, they will be well-meaning and full of promises in the beginning.. but it will only be a matter of time before they sell or lease the land to balance their budgets. And that land is MY LAND and YOUR LAND. Once it's gone, we will never get it back.

 

[packgoatguy]

If the State of Idaho ends up controlling all of the current BLM and Nat Forest lands, eventually the flat lands will be grazed to nubs, the timber lands will be logged into oblivion, the mountains will be mined to death, and the rivers will be so polluted from the mine tailings that no one will be able to drink the water. And what leftover land isn't useful for its share of natural resources will be fenced off into private hunting preserves that only the rich get to visit. But you had better believe that some already fat wallets will get a lot fatter in the meantime... all because they promised a few better paying jobs in a recession that they helped to create.

 

[Brap01]

As much as I don't trust the Feds to do things right... I trust the States even less. Sure, they will be well-meaning and full of promises in the beginning.. but it will only be a matter of time before they sell or lease the land to balance their budgets. And that land is MY LAND and YOUR LAND. Once it's gone, we will never get it back.

That is very true.

I worry that we can't indefinitely go into debt paying for public land. On a long enough timeline if we continue to hemorrhage money on public lands, we might be forced to sell it to help pay off our national debt.

Like you, I want the public land to be public. I just want it to more or less pay for itself because I think that is the way to keep it public so my great great grandchildren get to use it too.