The La Plata County commissioners have before them a resolution “stating the value of public lands to La Plata County’s economy, recreation, heritage and quality of life.” The commissioners should support it – loudly and unanimously.
Resolution 2015-18 details the lengthy list of ways this county benefits from public lands – everything from scenic beauty and tourism, to wildlife, recreation and grazing. And it reminds us that 38 percent of La Plata County is controlled by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. The resolution concludes by endorsing the “continued federal land ownership and management in La Plata County” and praising the dedicated public servants – state and federal – who care for those lands and the wildlife they support.
A thankful reminder of how well those folks do their jobs is always welcome. And the resolution is right to support continued federal ownership of our public lands. What is frightening is that there is a need to say such a thing.
The background to the resolution points to the Federal Land Action Group, a congressional team created to look at how to transfer federal lands to state and local ownership and control. And it mentions that a similar effort was proposed (but not passed) in the just-ended session of the Colorado Legislature. Similar moves have been undertaken in other states.
Those efforts ignore the fact that federal lands are the property of all Americans regardless of where they live. And, they simply disregard the fact that only the federal government has the resources to manage those lands. At heart, they are nothing more than an assault on the very idea of public lands.
The irony of Westerners supporting a move to transfer federal lands to state or local control is that while all Americans own federal lands, it is we who live near them who benefit the most from federal ownership. The county’s resolution re-enforces that.
The commissioners should pass Resolution 2015-18 and share it with our state lawmakers, as well.
