mrmedora
Member
Just received an interesting e-mail from a gentleman with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Mr. Joel Webster. I thought I would share it with you all since it is a very hot topic in the hunting and western political landscape. Hope you enjoy the read, and I enjoy sharing it with this group of sportsmen and women.
Scott
"Dear Western Interstate Region NACO leaders:
Please consider the attached letter from 114 Western and national hunting and fishing organizations in opposition to the sale or transfer of federal public lands. Please forward this letter to your colleagues.
Over 72% of Western sportsmen depend on public lands – such as National Forest and BLM Lands – for their hunting access. Sportsmen have spent the past 100 years investing in the management of federal lands to protect our ability to hunt, fish, camp and shoot. We aren’t willing to jeopardize our investments by supporting risky ideas such as land transfer.
Instead of pouring limited resources into a controversial idea that will never find success, we encourage counties and other stakeholders to roll up their sleeves and work with other interests to improve the management of our federal lands. Sportsmen are more than willing to engage in constructive conversations to fix shortfalls in the management of our federal public lands.
Sincerely,
Joel Webster
Joel Webster
Director, Center for Western Lands
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
8 Carriage Way
Missoula, MT 59802
www.trcp.org"
"April 14, 2015
Dear State and National Decision Makers:
America is known for its wide open spaces, seemingly endless mountain ranges, famous rivers and abundant fish and wildlife. Fundamental to this celebrated legacy is our national system of public lands, which is available to all Americans for hunting, fishing, camping and other forms of recreation.
As sportsmen-based organizations, we are alarmed that some decision makers are promoting the idea that federal public lands should be transferred to individual states or sold to private interests. We write to you today to strongly oppose this misguided approach.
America’s public lands – managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management – provide important fish and wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and fishing. Millions of American sportsmen use these lands each year to spend time with their families, challenge themselves physically and put food on their tables. Public lands and the activities they support benefit local businesses and contribute to America’s $646 billion annual outdoor recreation economy.
Sportsmen know firsthand that criticizing the management of federal public lands is easy, but the transfer of these lands to individual states is not a legitimate option for addressing management challenges. States are simply not equipped to support the enormous costs associated with fighting wildfires, maintaining roads and trails, treating noxious weeds and conducting habitat restoration. The likely result of state ownership would be the sale of public lands to private interests, where millions of acres would be closed to public access and an American birthright would be lost.
We ask that you take steps to voice your support for America’s public lands legacy and reject efforts to dispose of, sell or transfer federal public lands."
Scott
"Dear Western Interstate Region NACO leaders:
Please consider the attached letter from 114 Western and national hunting and fishing organizations in opposition to the sale or transfer of federal public lands. Please forward this letter to your colleagues.
Over 72% of Western sportsmen depend on public lands – such as National Forest and BLM Lands – for their hunting access. Sportsmen have spent the past 100 years investing in the management of federal lands to protect our ability to hunt, fish, camp and shoot. We aren’t willing to jeopardize our investments by supporting risky ideas such as land transfer.
Instead of pouring limited resources into a controversial idea that will never find success, we encourage counties and other stakeholders to roll up their sleeves and work with other interests to improve the management of our federal lands. Sportsmen are more than willing to engage in constructive conversations to fix shortfalls in the management of our federal public lands.
Sincerely,
Joel Webster
Joel Webster
Director, Center for Western Lands
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
8 Carriage Way
Missoula, MT 59802
www.trcp.org"
"April 14, 2015
Dear State and National Decision Makers:
America is known for its wide open spaces, seemingly endless mountain ranges, famous rivers and abundant fish and wildlife. Fundamental to this celebrated legacy is our national system of public lands, which is available to all Americans for hunting, fishing, camping and other forms of recreation.
As sportsmen-based organizations, we are alarmed that some decision makers are promoting the idea that federal public lands should be transferred to individual states or sold to private interests. We write to you today to strongly oppose this misguided approach.
America’s public lands – managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management – provide important fish and wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and fishing. Millions of American sportsmen use these lands each year to spend time with their families, challenge themselves physically and put food on their tables. Public lands and the activities they support benefit local businesses and contribute to America’s $646 billion annual outdoor recreation economy.
Sportsmen know firsthand that criticizing the management of federal public lands is easy, but the transfer of these lands to individual states is not a legitimate option for addressing management challenges. States are simply not equipped to support the enormous costs associated with fighting wildfires, maintaining roads and trails, treating noxious weeds and conducting habitat restoration. The likely result of state ownership would be the sale of public lands to private interests, where millions of acres would be closed to public access and an American birthright would be lost.
We ask that you take steps to voice your support for America’s public lands legacy and reject efforts to dispose of, sell or transfer federal public lands."
