What if the federal government decided to start selling off swaths off public land?

[Loo.wii]

One of my favorite things about western states are the large swaths of uninterrupted public lands with diverse ecosystems and terrain . My disdain of the east and south is partially due to the fact not much public land exists. Monday morning quarterbacking about a hundred or so years too late i think the lack of public land in the east and south is a huge disservice to all Americans. There seems to be mulling about the possibility of federal land being sold off whether its through more covert means like natural resource leases or being sold out right to arbitrary private land owners. I would personally be staunchly against selling off public lands. What is your opinion on the subject?


The discussion that prompted this conversation was with a friend of mine who is from Sweden. According to my understanding the cultural standard there and a few of their neighboring countries is although land can be privately owned, it is for the use of all people. So as long as you're not being an Ahole no one is going to bother you if you're hiking or camping on their massive swath of land. Now i know the American cultural and political perspective/context is almost contrary to this perspective but the spirit of this perspective is visible in efforts by some states to allow corner crossing etc. If public lands were sold off would you be in favor of stipulations that would allow use of private lands for public activities specifically on lands that were formally public immediately before the land was sold?

Off the top of my head i don't remember the word for that Swedish cultural standard referenced above but i will include it in my next update.

 

[CorbLand]

Who is bringing the popcorn? I like buttered, no salt.

 

[TaperPin]

GET OFF MY LAWN! Damned Scandinavians think they can walk anywhere! Lol

 

[IDVortex]

View attachment 737147
Who is bringing the popcorn? I like buttered, no salt.

Cinnamon sugar with the butter on mine please!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Happens all the time when Federal land gets tranferred to a State that has a legislative requirement to balance the state budget...Federal Lands go to State Lands and then are sold off the highest bidder because state law requires a balanced budger. Older trick in the book...Ever wonder why there is no public land in TX?

 

[JackOfAllTrades]

The one thing that grinds my gears is the corporate and big brother ownership of so much of the housing market. Without going into full socialism, it would be nice if home ownership/living quarters were the one thing a little less preyed upon by people making tons of money off of other people. Not saying people should ever be given houses for free, but when people and corporations buy up 1/2 of small towns, it makes it next to impossible for a lot of people to buy a house, thus they're stuck with renting.
Same is to be said for land, if government land is to go for sale, who do you think will buy it? Some plumber that lives down the street from you, or a trillion dollar company that will exploit it to make a couple more trillion?

 

[SWOHTR]

One of my favorite things about western states are the large swaths of uninterrupted public lands with diverse ecosystems and terrain . My disdain of the east and south is partially due to the fact not much public land exists. Monday morning quarterbacking about a hundred or so years too late i think the lack of public land in the east and south is a huge disservice to all Americans. There seems to be mulling about the possibility of federal land being sold off whether its through more covert means like natural resource leases or being sold out right to arbitrary private land owners. I would personally be staunchly against selling off public lands. What is your opinion on the subject?


The discussion that prompted this conversation was with a friend of mine who is from Sweden. According to my understanding the cultural standard there and a few of their neighboring countries is although land can be privately owned, it is for the use of all people. So as long as you're not being an Ahole no one is going to bother you if you're hiking or camping on their massive swath of land. Now i know the American cultural and political perspective/context is almost contrary to this perspective but the spirit of this perspective is visible in efforts by some states to allow corner crossing etc. If public lands were sold off would you be in favor of stipulations that would allow use of private lands for public activities specifically on lands that were formally public immediately before the land was sold?

Off the top of my head i don't remember the word for that Swedish cultural standard referenced above but i will include it in my next update.

Re: your second paragraph, you may want to read "No Such Thing as Bad Weather." It's about the Scandinavian approach to parenting young kids and the author details what you mention there. Fair warning, there are a lot of crunchy opinions in the book but she details the paradigm of free outside play quite well.

Re: the sale of federal lands, I'm against it. It was one of TR's greatest moves and countless have reaped the benefits from it. Look at Europe, especially the Mediterranean region, to see the effects of poorly managed landscapes in private hands: deforestation, erosion, "climate change"/temp increase, etc.

 

[Dos Perros]

Ever wonder why there is no public land in TX?

Big Bend NP is larger than some states doofus.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

PILT - Should drive every easterner batshit crazy.
OTOH if there are no private property rights, then there's nothing to protect w/2A.

I hate popcorn. but I'll take a soda.
@Dos Perros ... King Ranch is almost larger than Rhode Island.

 

[mtnbiker208]

If you are saying private land should not be private. I am against that.
Personally you need to be more specific on which government owned land can and can't be sold.
Ie a post office not being used anymore should be sold. Forest service land, not so much.

But i don't believe we are public land owners. We are allowed to use public land when the government see fit and only how they see fit.

 

[Loo.wii]

GET OFF MY LAWN! Damned Scandinavians think they can walk anywhere! Lol

there would need to be a massive cultural shift in the US for anything like this to happen.

 

[Loo.wii]

PILT - Should drive every easterner batshit crazy.
OTOH if there are no private property rights, then there's nothing to protect w/2A.

I hate popcorn. but I'll take a soda.
@Dos Perros ... King Ranch is almost larger than Rhode Island.

private land should be private. yes. but things like corner crossing should be allowed

 

[Loo.wii]

If you are saying private land should not be private. I am against that.
Personally you need to be more specific on which government owned land can and can't be sold.
Ie a post office not being used anymore should be sold. Forest service land, not so much.

But i don't believe we are public land owners. We are allowed to use public land when the government see fit and only how they see fit.

I refrained from sharing my total opinion in my post. i am more so looking to stimulate a complex conversation. you know like forums should.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Big Bend NP is larger than some states doofus.

Correct! How is the hunting there?

NP will not get turned over to the states, most states can't afford them.

 

[Loo.wii]

If you are saying private land should not be private. I am against that.
Personally you need to be more specific on which government owned land can and can't be sold.
Ie a post office not being used anymore should be sold. Forest service land, not so much.

But i don't believe we are public land owners. We are allowed to use public land when the government see fit and only how they see fit.

To be more specific i would be against public lands such as BLM, NF, NPs, And other conservation minded swaths of land from being sold.

 

[Dos Perros]

Correct! How is the hunting there?

Not as good as the private land.

 

[Loo.wii]

What if a frog had wings?


Not as good as the private land.

If we start our argument from the position that wild animals CAN NOT be private property thus are managed by the state or federal government. Then we can assume based on that that restricting access to those animals to hunters is effectively stealing from the public. More so a thought experiment than anything. The lack of public land in Texas is truly a tragedy.

 

[CorbLand]

I hate popcorn. but I'll take a soda.

Well, make that four people on my ignore list.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Not as good as the private land.

I understand the need for NP, I just don't care for them...lots of people, lots of lines, and a lot of fees. When I do go to one I usually leave embarrassed for the human race, people are idiots.
I haven't been back to the New River Gorge since they made it a NP, too many damn people, and I drive by it at least once a month to go to my cabin the butts up against the Mon NF.

 

[Dos Perros]

If we start our argument from the position that wild animals CAN NOT be private property thus are managed by the state or federal government. Then we can assume based on that that restricting access to those animals to hunters is effectively stealing from the public. More so a thought experiment than anything. The lack of public land in Texas is truly a tragedy.

You know what's a tragedy? The number of Texans in Texas.