Aside from extremist fringe groups like the Bundy clan, most Americans strongly support our public lands treasures – and that’s especially true here in Colorado, where generations of families have hunted, fished, camped, rafted, biked and picnicked on our public lands.
These lands give Coloradans access to some of the most beautiful places on Earth and make possible our state’s amazing outdoors quality of life. An annual Public Lands Day in May would be a great way to recognize these special places and encourage Coloradans to make use of them.
No, federal management of public lands isn’t perfect, but we need to encourage communication, not conflict. Strident calls for turning these lands over to the states are woefully misguided and a first step for what the land grabbers really want: to privatize our lands. Colorado, like most Western states, is underfunded and understaffed to deal with the management of these millions of acres. And consider that only 18 percent of Colorado’s 2.8 million acres of state trust lands are available for hunting and fishing – by comparison there more than 22 million acres of Forest Service and BLM land in Colorado and nearly all of it is open to the public for recreation. For sportsmen and most Coloradans, it’s all about access and we won’t give it up.
Our public lands are special places that deserve a special day of recognition – let’s stand up for them!
Matt Kenna, Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Durango
