I’ve used the retail stores at public land offices and have always found the employees to be top-notch and very helpful. I’m sorry people are ever laid off, but these good folks’ salary should never have come from tax money. Their salary and all other expenses required to maintain our public lands should come solely from public lands user fees administered by an independent entity free of Washington, D.C., control.
I, for instance, should have to buy an annual pass to hike and camp national forests. “Free” public lands sounds nice, fits our “rugged individualist” culture, but it takes money to maintain public lands and it’s patently unfair for Americans who’ll never set foot in the San Juan National Forest to help pay for my enjoyment of it.
I realize this is a major change and will require careful planning to ensure the income from user fees matches the millions of dollars required, but it’s something Congress should do.
P.S. I’ll gladly go along with my fellow Americans if the majority disagree.
Clarence A. “Sonny” Williams
Mancos
