BACK COUNTRY BASE

PUBLIC LANDS SHOULD BE IN PUBLIC HANDS

Access for All

Public lands, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, are meant to be accessible to everyone. They serve as spaces where people can engage in outdoor recreation, such as hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and enjoying nature. If public lands are sold off or transferred to private hands, it could limit access to these areas, making it harder for everyday citizens to enjoy the outdoors. Public land in public hands ensures that everyone—regardless of socioeconomic status—has the right to access and enjoy these spaces.

Conservation and Environmental Protection

Public lands are critical for maintaining biodiversity, protecting wildlife habitats, and preserving natural resources like water, soil, and air quality. Government agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage these lands with a focus on sustainable conservation. Public lands are often protected under laws that prohibit overdevelopment, logging, or other activities that might damage ecosystems. Private ownership of these lands could prioritize profit over environmental health, leading to exploitation and habitat destruction.

Wildlife Protection

Public lands are home to a significant portion of America’s wildlife, including endangered species, migratory birds, and critical habitats for mammals, amphibians, and plants. If public lands are handed over to private owners, there is a risk that wildlife protections could be weakened, and areas crucial for endangered species could be lost or degraded. Maintaining these lands under public ownership ensures that policies will prioritize ecosystem health and the protection of species, not just economic gains.

Economic Benefits to Local Communities

Public lands also support local economies, especially in rural areas, by providing resources for outdoor recreation, tourism, and hunting. According to reports from groups like the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation on public lands generates billions of dollars annually in economic activity and supports millions of jobs. For communities near public lands, tourism and recreation activities bring in vital income and support small businesses, including hotels, restaurants, guide services, and equipment retailers. If these lands were privatized, the economic benefits of public access could be lost.

Cultural and Historical Value

Many public lands contain important historical, cultural, and spiritual landmarks. Native American tribes have deep historical ties to certain public lands, and these spaces often contain sacred sites and ancestral homelands. Additionally, national parks and monuments preserve archaeological sites, battlefields, and other significant locations that are part of America’s collective history. Public ownership of these lands ensures that their value is preserved for future generations, not sold off or altered for private interests.

Sustainable Resource Management

Public lands provide resources like timber, minerals, and grazing land. While these resources are valuable, they are managed with sustainability in mind to avoid over-extraction. If public lands are transferred to private hands, there’s a risk that profit-driven motives could result in unsustainable practices like overgrazing, deforestation, or unregulated mining. Government management typically ensures long-term sustainability and attempts to balance resource extraction with conservation.

The Threat of Privatization

Over the years, there have been various proposals to privatize public lands or transfer them to state control. For example, some political groups and lobbyists advocate for the transfer of federal lands to state governments, arguing that states could manage them more efficiently. Others push for outright privatization, believing that selling these lands would help raise money for other government projects. However, these ideas are controversial:

• State governments may not have the resources or incentives to manage lands for the broader public good, leading to patchwork management and inconsistent access across state lines.
• Privatization could result in land being developed for commercial purposes, which could reduce public access, damage ecosystems, and eliminate wildlife habitats.

Public Lands and Democracy

The concept of “public land in public hands” also speaks to a democratic principle: public land belongs to all citizens, not just a wealthy few or private corporations. These lands are part of the American legacy, and decisions about their management should reflect the interests of the public, not just private profits. The government, acting on behalf of the people, is supposed to steward these lands in a way that benefits society as a whole.

Grassroots Support for Public Land Protection

Many groups, including conservation organizations, hunting and fishing groups, outdoor recreationists, and tribal communities, actively fight to ensure that public lands stay in public hands. Advocacy groups like The Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, The Sierra Club, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are vocal in opposing efforts to privatize or transfer public lands. Their efforts include lobbying, public campaigns, and legal challenges aimed at keeping public lands protected.