Not to distract whats going on at the home front

[SWDesertRat]

I like to think of myself as an informed individual, was a little surprised at what I read in the link below.

Granted this is a opinion piece..still made me think a bit. Maybe others may find some interest in it.

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/the-trees-are-all-right/

[audsley]

Thanks for posting this, SWDesertRat. As one who has donated time and money to Republican candidates in the past, I find this trend very disturbing. The idea of either selling off public lands or turning them over to the states (who will then sell them off) seems to be sweeping the party. Rick Santorum said in his interview with US Sportsmen's Alliance that there is way too much federal land and we need to sell it. I've been told the same by a couple of our state legislators, one of which is now running for Congress.

 

What they don't understand is that the national forests, BLM and wildlife refuges administered by USFWS are the people's land, not some bureaucrat's. (And sometimes the bureaucrats forget that too.) Republican candidates have been listening to ranchers, developers, miners and other private interests who would like to get rid of the public. Now they need to hear from sportsmen.

 

It's in the best interests of sportsmen - as well as the Republican party in the long run - that we expose this idea early and persuade them to drop it like they had to drop privatization or elimination of social security. Some of their campaign contributors might want it, but the majority of American voters don't, or at least so I believe.

 

Couple this with Don Peay's remarks (posted recently on this forum without receiving as much attention as it should have) that wildlife should belong to landowners and that public ownership of wildlife is "socialism." Consider that Don Peay purports to represent Western hunters and has the ear of key U.S. Senators and Congressmen. I've heard the Safari Club Intl lobbyist is supportive of wildlife privatization as well. (SCI is welcome to straighten me out on this if I'm wrong, but antoher Washington lobbyist told me that's the case.)

 

If we don't speak out, this idea will only get bigger. If you're Republican and can speak to Republican officials or candidates, let them know how you feel, and that yes, you would consider voting Democratic if the GOP pushes selling off our federal lands to private parties.

[SirRoyal]

At the very least the Republicans are the best of the worst! I will never vote democrat.

[audsley]

At the very least the Republicans are the best of the worst! I will never vote democrat.

 

As long as Republicans believe that, they'll treat you like they own you. Never let any party take you for granted.

[gauchoand]

My suggestion is hands off leave it alone. We are such great managers that we know more than nature itself. After all Earth has only been able to take care of itself for 4 billion years.

[audsley]

Something else I should have mentioned - this does NOT distract from things going on on the home front. If this movement gets going, its effects will be felt here by Arizona hunters more than anywhere else. We have less huntable private land than any other state.

 

If anyone insists on keeping the focus on AZSFW, then maybe someone would like to ask them what they're doing to stop this. After all, AZSFW has been a consistent supporter of Republican candidates in the past, same as me. Do I have to fight this battle by myself? Or is there an organization that will stand up for Arizona hunters?

[CouesWhitetail]

I find the idea of selling off public lands to be very disturbing as well. I love all the public land we have here in AZ and can't imagine how selling that off is in the best interest of the public. Thanks for sharing this issue. I had no idea about the comments that had been made...wow.