Transferring Federal Lands

[blacktailslayer]

Pretty good article on a few bad things that have happened in the past.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article52356140.html

[Ravin R10 man]

My question is, WHO are they selling the land to? Foreigners? Thats not right!

[blacktailslayer]

To the highest bidder. Then it will be locked up with no public access.

[Ravin R10 man]

Hopefully the "highest bidder", will keep it open to the public

[elkoholic]

For those of us who live in the western half of the country and those who travel to hunt, fish and/or recreate on Federally (U.S. citizen) owned land will no longer have those opportunities if said lands are sold to private entities. If ownership of these lands were to be transferred to the states they would then be sold to private entities. The individual states can not afford to manage these lands and their whole goal is to generate money from property owned. To think that private entities would continue to allow access is pure folly. If ranchers think that paying a minimal grazing fee to the federal government is unfair they better have the money to buy the land for themselves or be prepared to pay the going rate to someone else. Those lands that are not purchased by private entities will more than likely become landlocked with little or no access. Forget about a RT elk hunt in Colorado unless you have an "in" with a private land owner. Outfitted hunts will increase in cost as access to hunting areas become more expensive. I would also expect a loss in habitat quality and increased pollution from corporate interest that will have less federal oversight. I consider myself lucky that I can walk out the back door and have access to millions of acres of land, but those millions of acres are also open to anyone (U.S. citizen or not) who wish to come and immerse themselves in nature. The transferring or selling of Federal land is just a bad idea.

[blacktailslayer]

The State of Idaho's Department of Lands has finally publicly admitted that it has lost money on leasing 1,900,000 acres of endowment land for livestock use even though the State charges ranchers four times what the federal grazing fee is on BLM and Forest service lands ($6.03 per AUM as compared with $1.56 per AUM).

https://www.westernwatersheds.org/news-media/online-messenger/idaho-loses-money-idaho-state-school-endowment-land-grazing-leases.htm

[blacktailslayer]

Study shows that federal public lands boost rural economies.

http://headwaterseconomics.org/public-lands/federal-lands-performance

[blacktailslayer]

A glimpse at what would come if the states controlled your public lands.

http://www.waow.com/story/31281149/2016/02/22/board-to-consider-putting-another-5900-acres-up-for-sale?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WAOW_Newsline_9

[Ravin R10 man]

Whats wrong with that picture? Four times more and still lose? INCOMPETENCE