Mr. Trump’s disregard for our ownership of public lands is well known. A new, more aggressive manifesto is about to be unleashed.
Henry ~ 2023 Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
By Henry Clement
‘Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called national parks “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.’
A friend wrote me a letter, yes, a letter, signifying that he and I had finally become outliers in the texting world.
In back-and-forth correspondences, our thought-to-be equivalences were revealed not to be.
That revaluation period intensified when it became Harris vs. Trump, exhausting us both. He said he would go to bed for a while and asked me to wake him in 2028.
Post-election, we were left with one common concern: Public Lands. My lawyer friend read the manifesto and de-legalized the sections capturing and impacting Public Lands.
The plan to take away your and my Public Lands
Project 2025, authored by William Perry Pendley – the former ‘Acting’ (never confirmed) Director of the Bureau of Land Management [BLM] during the first Trump presidency. It is scary if you hunt and fish or enjoy outdoor activities on Public Lands.
This presidential transition document regarding Public Lands—organized by the Heritage Foundation—establishes policy recommendations that are, so far, all acceptable to Mr. Trump. The latter is based on his picks to lead agencies and those in supporting roles to those in charge. The list is convincing. Look them up.
So, what is so alarming about President 2025 selling our land
Mr. President, you cannot sell your share to someone or a company for personal gain.
Trump believes he can sell, and you and I will not share the proceeds of the best price.
He’s hired surrogate real estate agents to act on his behalf, calling the secretary of the interior, who themselves have realtors to act on their behalf to sell your share and mine.
MakeAmericaGoAway?
Please refrain from selling America’s land and enriching extractors once more. Such actions will undermine the very foundation of America—a legacy that deserves our unwavering defense.
Remember, a President with no guardrails puts in harm’s way unrestrained and clear-cut logging, unopposed land sales, unrestricted oil and gas extraction, unlimited real estate development, and unhindered mining. These possibilities guarantee us the opportunity for environmental disasters of a biblical kind.
‘Outlined in Project 2025 is a suite of recommendations for our public lands and waters that would directly reverse policy priorities that Back Country Hunters and Anglers [BHA] has advocated for. These include rolling back the conservation status for more than 50 million acres of public lands, dismantling the America the Beautiful initiative to conserve 30% of our lands and waters by 2030, restricting the use of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and targeting bedrock conservation laws such as the Antiquities Act.
Hunters and anglers across the U.S. should take note of the expansive list of threats to our public lands and waters contained within Project 2025, and join BHA in opposing each anti-conservation recommendation.’— originally posted by Kaden McArthur.
NOTE: I urge all 20,000 readers to join Back Country Hunters and Anglers. They are the best advocates for serving our needs. Click here to view joining details.
NOTE 2: Public Land Statistics PDF . . .
NOTE 3: Back Country Hunters and Anglers post by Kaden McArthur . . . Un
NOTE 4: The complete manifesto [Project 2025]
About Public Lands
The Bureau of Land Management [BLM] manages 245 million acres of public land and 700 million acres of mineral estate. These public lands and subsurface acres are integral to the lives and livelihoods of communities and families across the country. According to DOI’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue, public lands generated over $8 billion for the U.S. Treasury and States in Fiscal Year 2022.
America’s public lands are among the country’s most iconic and cherished places, from Yellowstone National Park to the vast wilderness of Alaska and the wilds of Maine. More than 600 million acres are held in the federal trust. These lands provide respite and inspiration, clean air and clean water, and some of the last, best habitats for safeguarding wildlife and plants, many of which are threatened or endangered. More than 500 million people visit public lands each year.
Four federal public land systems. National monuments are found in all:
- National Forest System – U.S. Forest Service: 193 million acres; 155 National Forest system units in 43 states, and 20 national grasslands covering 4 million acres. More than 66 million Americans rely on National Forest System lands for drinking water. Wildlife includes bears, bobcats, mountain lions, wolves, spotted owls, frogs, and myriad other species.
- National System of Public Lands – U.S. Bureau of Land Management: 245 million acres of desert, grasslands, canyons, tundra, and forests, mostly in 12 western states. Wildlife on BLM lands includes sage grouse, desert tortoises, wolves, hundreds of songbirds, reptiles, and fish.
- National Park System – National Park Service: There are 84 million acres (57 million acres in Alaska), 58 national parks, and 397 units in every state.
- National Wildlife Refuge System – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 96 million acres (76.8 million acres of it in Alaska)
556 National Wildlife Refuges in all states and various territories. Wildlife refuges are home to more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptiles and amphibian species, and more than 200 species of fish.
• 270 parks with fish
• 200+ parks have some or all waters open to fishing
• National parks have many aquatic habitats:
◦ 100,000+ miles (161,000 km) of rivers and streams
◦ 1,850,000+ acres (7500 km²) of freshwater lakes
◦ 35,000 miles+ (56,350 km) of freshwater lake shoreline
◦ 2,400,000 acres+ (9850 km²) of ocean habitat
◦ Over 10,000 miles (16,000 km) of ocean shoreline
Click here for an interactive Public Land – National Parks map for angling opportunities. >>>> Click here for a list of fish species. . .
Cree Indians:
‘When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize you cannot eat money.’
Sources:
Back Country Hunters and Anglers [see link above]
Public Lands Data – multiple agency studies [Googe for results]
Multiple Veterans Organizations [Google for results]
Do not go gentle into that good night
Despite the challenges posed by various threats to our public lands, these passionate advocates, often called ‘tree-huggers,’ approach their mission with gentle yet unwavering resolve. They embody the enduring commitment to safeguard the outdoor treasures that define our nation. The legacy of conservation is not merely a fight for land; it’s a fight for our collective future and the well-being of future generations. Together, we must rally behind these efforts to ensure that our environment’s beauty and ecological integrity endure for all to enjoy.
