Transfer of Federal Lands to the States

dave54 wrote:

highplainsdrifter wrote:
?..It is time for all federal land users to decide if their heart lies closer to Cliven Bundy or to Theodore Roosevelt. I am confident the majority will go with Teddy.

Be careful using Teddy Roosevelt in your argument. He created the Forest Service by combining the Forest Reserves in the Dept of Interior with the Bureau of Forestry in the Dept of Agriculture, and intentionally put the Forest Service in Agriculture to get the forests out of Interior (widespread corruption and graft in Interior at that time). His intent was to INCREASE timber harvesting using modern forest science principles and facilitate rural economic development. Rural development is still a primary mission of the Forest Service per several federal laws. Many people mistakenly believe the Forest Service was created to protect the forests from logging and local interests. The opposite is true. The Forest Reserves were not being extensively logged, the large timber cartels were using their influence at Interior to restrict public land logging and keep timber prices high, with the resulting negative impact on rural communities. A secondary reason for the creation of the Forest Service was watershed protection. Proper forest management, including harvesting, increases water yield and quality.

National Wildlife Refuges were created to maintain populations of game animals for hunting, not protect them from hunting.

Teddy's autobiography (now public domain, available as a free download from several sites) explains in his own words his natural resources philosophy. Many people would be surprised by his viewpoints and intentions.

Teddy was a populist Republican president that thought America should dominate the Western Hemisphere. His purposes in setting aside land was he loved the outdoor life including hunting/fishing and saw the economics of exploiting vast natural resources. He may not be the last one to fit that description.

As a side thought, the Federal Govt rarely manages anything well and most conservation groups would exclude all human population from wilderness areas except for themselves of course. I think some development of all wilderness areas is reasonable so that the entire population has some access to them. If your advanced in age or not a physical specimen they are completely off limits to you. If it is indeed our land, make it accessible to all of us (reasonable fees expected). If not give it to the states.