Who are public lands for?

[406dn]

Our public lands are the envy of every citizenry across the globe. As wealthy as they are, think about which public lands so many Europeans pay to see. Ours. I've personally talked to hundreds of people across the globe who traveled to the U.S. to visit our parks, forests and refuges. They all say the same thing. Wish they had these places in their country, and to hold on to them as tight as we can. Especially those from wealthy developed European nations, who often use their country as cautionary tales.

Our public lands should be for all Americans. Finances and physical abilities will always influence an individual's access, but our model of public land ownership is the envy of the world. Anyone who wants to change that is interested in making a buck.

An example of that, happened this fall while my brother and I were elk hunting.

There was a German couple camping in the campground where we were staying. They were a bit amazed that big game hunting was so available to the general public. They were touring the western states for 6 weeks.

They were totally blown away at how much wild land there was in our country. It reminded my brother and I how blessed we are.