What is Trout Unlimited doing about public lands?

The threat of losing our public lands looms large.

It grows, passing like wildfire through halls of Congress and state capitols, spreading its invasive rhetoric in our communities. People with soft hands and expensive suits tell us:

“It’s just transfer. It’s not like we’re selling them.”

It’s not just transfer. And it is a big deal.

The truth is that the distance between the effort to “transfer” public lands and to sell them is very short. Many of the states that would manage these lands have already sold significant portions of their, now, former public state land to the highest seller. And we, as a country and as avid sportsmen and women, have nothing to gain by such actions.

We have nothing to gain. And everything to lose.

Which is why Trout Unlimited is diligently focused on mobilizing hunters and anglers to fight back against those who want to take away our public lands.

To date, we have defeated dozens of efforts to sell or transfer our birthright. From state legislatures to federal legislation, Trout Unlimited has been engaged. But the threats keep coming, and from the looks of it, the fight is far from over.

Which is why we need you. We need your voice, your action, your attention. We need your time, your passion.

Give what you can.

Donate. Act. Volunteer.

Public lands are part of what define us as Americans. Our forebears left these lands to us, not so we could sell them to the highest bidder. They left them to us as an heirloom to pass on intact to the next generation. These lands are our birthright. And we don’t plan on giving that up anytime soon.

Join us.

Comments

 
said on Friday, February 10th, 2017

I would like to see the names of the congressmen that voted to affirm this bill. The midterms will be here before we know it. 

 The potential environmental impact of this will be like releasing a plague upon the land. In addition to losing out on sport and recreation  activities developing these lands will result in soil erosion, water and air pollutants and increases in pollution related illnesses.

 The next storm on the horizon is the repeal of the clean water act. I cannot believe the insanity of allowing coal mine slurry to run into rivers. 

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said on Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

Well, this perceived threat is only a threat if you think the Federal government is the savior of trout fishermen and a good manager of land.

In fact, the states are much better managers of forest land, and more responsive to citizen concerns.  State land is still public land and managed for the public. Federal land is all too often managed for political purposes to please special interest pressure groups and organizations.

Having lived in Washington for many years, I have experienced first hand the short comings of the Federal bureaucracy.  It's not always our friend, or has our best interests in mind.   

 

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said on Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Skiracer you are very naive.  Federal land means land owned by ALL US citizens. If these lands get into the greedy hands of our states, they will disappear behind closed doors. You are right, there will be no bureaucracy, they will just be sold off with no arguement, and no notice.  They will convince other naive people that they need to be sold for some reason or another. Also, it sure is nice to have all US citizens help pay for the upkeep and maintence of these amazing places.  You live in Washington and I grew up in Colorado and have lived in Utah for the last thirty years.  My own Congressman Rob Bishop is heading up the fight to take your land away.  Most of his campaign money comes from the oil and gas industry.  He doesnt care about the legacy of natural places that we have been enjoying for over a hundred years. 

One more thing.  Do you ever come West to fish, hunt, camp, hike? If so, where do you go? If you are wealthy, or an important politician you probably have access to some private land, or a private ranch. The rest of us depend on our public lands.  Lands that our forefathers passed on to us.  Land that we need to pass on to our children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren not yet born.

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