Why is it I see the same handful of people in the letters section who claim to speak for everyone else when it comes to public lands? One of these guys claims the feds are closing them off “at breakneck speed.” Last count there were more than 10,000 miles of off-road motorized trails in the Four Corners area. Whenever the BLM or Forest Service does close of a five-mile stretch for restoration purposes these same handful of guys scream to the heavens – and then turn around and call someone else ”wild-eyed.”
They claim the state can maintain these lands better than the feds, when the state doesn’t have a fraction of the financial resources. Not only that, but they always vote for the candidates at every level who restrict funds for land management and promise to lower their taxes, after which they turn around blame someone else for hypocrisy. One of these guys even claims the federal government was supposed to sell these lands off a long time ago which exposes his true agenda. I got news for you: Unless you are a multimillionaire, you and everyone else in this country that likes to hunt, camp, ride an ATV or even put out the effort to hike, you are going to lose big time. I suggest you take a trip to Texas and see how many places you can find where you can step off the road without running into a fence. Right now it is as good as it is going to get. Utah, a staunchly Republican state, is making the most aggressive move to take control of public lands which is no coincidence. For these people, the concept of public lands is socialism, which means ownership and access to these lands will wind up in the hands of the wealthy only. So, do us all a favor and don’t shoot us all in the foot.
Terry Moores
Mancos