Do you value public
lands for hunting and fishing?
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| www.sportsmensaccess.org |
A couple years ago, I met a hunter in Southest Oregon who believed the
balance between federal and local control of public lands in Oregon
was skewed in the wrong direction. As we talked about public lands in Malheur County,
he said, “We need to take back the management of our land from the federal
government.”
At the time I wasn’t aware of the debate over public
lands management that was happening in Utah and other Western states, where legislative efforts were under way in an
attempt to turn federal public lands over to the states.
I replied, “Are you sure that is a good thing? Malheur
is the poorest county in the state. How is this county going to manage your
public land if there are no funds available? What will happen to our wildlife
and habitat? Will that impact our access to hunting and fishing?”
His simple response: “We’ll still be able to do all
that.”
The federal government holds our public
lands in trust so current and future generations can enjoy the rich beauty and resources that they offer.Federally managed parcels provide access to popular fishing destinations like the Deschutes, Klamath and Grande Ronde Rivers. As a professional guide, we depend on the ability to share the beauty of our public lands with folks from across the nation.
Public lands rightfully belong to all
Americans. In an increasingly crowded West where open space is rapidly
becoming one the rarest and most valuable assets of the Western lifestyle,
ensuring that these lands stay in the public trust is more important now than
ever before.
Request that your elected officials
actively pledge their support for our public lands legacy and reject efforts to
transfer federal public lands to individual states. Find out more and sign the petition > www.sportsmensaccess.org
