Public Lands

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THE IRREPLACEABLE AMERICAN IDEAL

A Message from BHA President & CEO Patrick Berry

Public land is as American as Mom's apple pie and the stars and stripes. It's woven into the fabric of our history, culture, and principles of democracy. It's the place where generations of hard-working Americans have pursued their passions for hunting and fishing, nurtured an enduring conservation ethic, and found solace from the rest of life.

The concept that our shared resources can be managed in a collaborative and cooperative manner to benefit a multitude of public needs and embody the notion that we're-all-in-this-together is Americanism at its finest. So how did so many of our elected officials become hellbent on handing over these extraordinary public assets to private interests?

The avalanche of foreboding attacks on public lands, combined with calculated misinformation campaigns designed to gaslight Americans into believing what's happening is in their best interest, has reached a crisis point. From Utah's U.S. Supreme Court lawsuit aimed at eroding the very foundations of federal land ownership to the transactional view that public lands are no more than a line item on a balance sheet to the recent raft of political maneuvers setting the stage for a public lands liquidation – the drumbeat of selling out and selling off has become deafening.

Make no mistake: attacks on public lands are an attack on American ideals. The willingness to betray the core values of our Americanism has become a contagious disease of pandemic proportions, spread by cronyism, corruption, and personal political gain. Will Americans sit back and watch their own public lands legacy unravel? Or can public lands again be the great non-partisan unifier they always have been?

"As the leading advocate for America's public lands, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers stands resolute in our willingness to play David to the Goliath of special interests and self-serving political momentum."

As the leading advocate for America's public lands, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers stands resolute in our willingness to play David to the Goliath of special interests and self-serving political momentum. As a fiercely nonpartisan organization, BHA's allegiance is to the American ideal of public lands and waters and to the hunters and anglers who play a unique and irreplaceable role in conservation. When fealty to political ideology or the politicians themselves is prioritized over the substance of bad policy, we all lose.

Federally owned public lands have long been managed through an Americanist approach that brings a wide variety of stakeholders to the table. These are all of our lands, managed by the feds but not owned by them; We are the public land owners. The public's recreational opportunities are balanced with resource extraction and other needs, where both private and public interests benefit. The mosaic of public lands across the country play a crucial role in national security, food production, climate change adaptation, and conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Our natural, cultural, historic, and scenic heritage is firmly founded in a public lands legacy that is fundamentally irreplaceable.

For millions of Americans, public land offers their only opportunity to hunt, fish, camp, hike, and generally enjoy the outdoors. It's the great equalizer and one of the most poignant examples of Americanism – offering a true freedom which separates the United States from much of the world. What happens to hunting and angling when we devalue our public lands both philosophically and substantively? What if these shared resources are sold off or leased to the highest private bidder? Do we lose our traditions alongside the land?

Loss of access is consistently identified through state and federal agency surveys as the number one reason hunters hang up their gear forever, making the answer to these questions pretty clear: the uniquely American culture of hunting, in which everyone has the opportunity to participate, will fade into the sunset. It's an avoidable tragedy, but only if we stand up for what we believe rather than fall victim to blind faith that our elected officials are looking out for us.

We must ask ourselves if some things are worth more than money: health, family, friendships, experiences, knowledge, resilience, self-reliance, peace of mind, sense of purpose, responsibility, and the personal fulfillment of sustainably feeding your family? These are the unquantifiable outcomes of time spent recreating on America's public lands. So, even if we need to take a hard look at the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the federal agencies charged with managing public lands, the shared resources themselves are still more than just assets on a ledger. And once they are sold or paved over, they're gone forever.

"As citizens in this democracy, we must believe in the value our role plays in the great American foundation that is our public lands. Our involvement and our voice matters; BHA matters."

As citizens in this democracy, we must believe in the value our role plays in the great American foundation that is our public lands. Our involvement and our voice matters; BHA matters. Making a positive impact can be as simple as giving out a copy of the Backcountry Journal or sharing the BHA Podcast & Blast with a friend; gifting a BHA membership; or calling your senator or representative and telling them how much you value our wild public lands. It's time we set political differences aside in the spirit of our common interest in public lands and waters.

We are facing a seminal moment in the defense of public lands, and BHA is unmoved, undeterred, and unwavering in our commitment to stand up for what's right. For those willing to put politics, peer pressure, and misinformation aside, buckle up. We're in for the fight of our lives. Thanks for joining us on the front lines.

– Patrick Berry

https://www.backcountryhunters.org/the_irreplaceable_american_ideal

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Trump property purge to include national park visitor centers, museums
Those and other properties would close under budget cuts proposed by the administration.

The Trump administration is seeking to cancel the leases for 34 National Park Service buildings, including visitor centers, law enforcement offices and museums that house millions of artifacts.

The General Services Administration has proposed terminating most of the leases within a year, saying the decision could save taxpayers millions of dollars. But park advocates have warned that the move could harm the visitor experience at national parks across the country, especially during the peak summer season. The 34 locations were included in a larger list of hundreds of federal properties the government was looking to give up or sell.

If the GSA moves forward with the proposal, eight visitor centers would close without alternative locations in place, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group. And several climate-controlled museums would shutter without a plan for sending their rare artifacts to equivalent facilities.

"These closures will cripple the Park Service's ability to operate parks safely and will mean millions of irreplaceable artifacts will be left vulnerable or worse, lost," Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement. "Quite simply and astonishingly, this is dismantling the National Park Service as we know it, ranger by ranger and brick by brick."


The visitor center for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is housed in the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. (Science Museum of Minnesota)

The move comes after the Trump administration last month fired roughly 1,000 probationary employees who had worked at the Park Service less than one year. In the wake of these firings, park visitors reported several problems, including long lines at the entrance to Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park and canceled rental reservations at Pennsylvania's Gettysburg National Military Park.

https://wapo.st/3Db7DAu

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National Parks Contributed Record High $55.6 Billion to U.S. economy, Supported 415,000 Jobs in 2023 

News Release Date: August 27, 2024

Contact: newsmedia@nps.gov

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Interior's National Park Service released a new report that finds visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2023 resulted in a record high $55.6 billion benefit to the nation's economy and supported 415,400 jobs.

"The Biden-Harris administration has made historic bipartisan investments to restore and enhance national parks across our nation," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "This report illustrates the significant economic benefits national parks provide to nearby communities and the U.S. economy, and the value of our work to safeguard these public lands in the wake of the climate crisis, upgrade visitor experiences and invest in park infrastructure and staff."

The National Park Service (NPS) budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 is $3.57 billion. This budget supports the NPS's day-to-day operations and key priorities. 

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Texas House
Representative files bill to abolish Texas Parks and Wildlife Department


https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/03/16/texas-house-representative-files-bill-to-abolish-texas-parks-and-wildlife-department/