STEALING YOUR PUBLIC LANDS - Destroying some Myths (Episode 3)

[Big Fin]

Tonight we released the next in our series of videos about politicians trying to steal your public lands. They call it State Transfer. When we are done, you will see why it is better termed "Stealing Your Public Lands."

This video tackles three of the popular myths floated around by those who are promoting the idea of State Transfer; Constitutionality, Better Land Management, States are Owed the Lands. To address all the myths would exceed the file size YouTube allows. The YouTube link is below:


https://youtu.be/3TJCpuj8TjM


I hope you will share these videos with your fellow public land advocates.

Our schedule is to release a new video every Wednesday. The video roll order is:

1. State Transfer - An Introduction (released May 18)
2. History of Public Lands in the West (released May 25)
3. Destroying the Myths of State Transfer (released today)
4. Costs of Land Management – Why the States would sell
5. Colorado – What would happen under state transfer?
6. Wyoming – What would happen under state transfer?
7. New Mexico – What would happen under state transfer?
8. Montana – What would happen under state transfer?
9. Nevada – What would happen under state transfer?
10. Utah – What would happen under state transfer?
11. Alaska – What would happen under state transfer?
12. Oregon – What would happen under state transfer (Elliot State Forest, our crystal ball)?
13. The people trying to steal your public lands
14. What you can do to help

We have built a YouTube playlist for these public land videos. If you would rather follow the playlist, it is at this link - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLdxutimd-JsEtFEIVd4kfFhn3EMTBRuC

Thanks for all your advocacy on behalf of public lands. We have a lot more in store, besides these State Transfer videos. I hope you will share these with your hunting friends.

 

[Sawtooth]

Where is Idaho on your list? The state had the Univ. of Idaho do a study to see what would happen in Idaho in 2013. It would be interesting to hear your take on that studies findings as well.

 

[utah400elk]

Randy,

Thanks for this vital public service. Great video and I can't wait for the next one.

 

[shoots-straight]

There's a copy of this running on Jennifer fielders public figure facebook page.:hump: https://www.facebook.com/senatorfie...notif_t=share_reply&notif_id=1464673626967886

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

There's a copy of this running on Jennifer fielders public figure facebook page.:hump: https://www.facebook.com/senatorfie...11441¬if_t=share_reply¬if_id=1464673626967886

Nice! We'll see how long she tolerates it's presence.

 

[MtnWest]

Thank you Randy, these videos will be invaluable for educating people about the issue. Easy to watch common sense explanation.

Throw in some footage of Federal managed land vs State land here in Idaho for shock and awe factor. My state can't manage land for crap. Well, they can I guess because that's all that's on it.

 

[Jwill]

Randy, if possible could you rearrange the playlist to play the videos in order? Thanks!

 

[smarandr]

Where is Idaho on your list?

Good question. Obviously I can't speak for Randy, by my guess isit has something to do with the fact that even though Idaho is required to manage state lands in the same manner as other states to maximize revenue, currently federal and state lands have similar restrictions (or lack thereof) when it comes to recreation.

Then again, maybe we're getting the same treatment we do with the TV show.

 

[Big Fin]

Good question. Obviously I can't speak for Randy, by my guess isit has something to do with the fact that even though Idaho is required to manage state lands in the same manner as other states to maximize revenue, currently federal and state lands have similar restrictions (or lack thereof) when it comes to recreation.

Then again, maybe we're getting the same treatment we do with the TV show.

Exactly what you mention and I bolded/highlighted above. ID has very similar rules for public recreation as currently exist on the Federal lands. Now, if ID continues their consideration of private hunting leases on State Lands, that changes things.

We have considered an ID video for the sake of showing that even if the access rules are good, look at how much land ID has sold. When it is sold, the access it gone. So, it is not out of the picture, just considering how it fits in the entire message that this series is designed to convey.

 

[jryoung]

Thinking out loud here, would it be possible, with reasonable effort, to review previously sold state lands and determine if there is hunting access or not currently? Maybe it's too far into the details and it's just easier to summarize how much acreage of state land has been sold off.

 

[Big Fin]

Thinking out loud here, would it be possible, with reasonable effort, to review previously sold state lands and determine if there is hunting access or not currently? Maybe it's too far into the details and it's just easier to summarize how much acreage of state land has been sold off.

It would be very hard to determine if hunting access currently. We will summarize the sales activities of all states, both within their state-by-state video and in a final video that tries to put a big bow around this.

 

[junior88]

anything concerning Arizona?

 

[Big Fin]

anything concerning Arizona?

Kind of like Idaho. State lands in AZ are not much different from a recreational access perspective than Federal lands. The difference there would be less noticeable than in the other states we are covering. But, given AZ now has a Recreational Permit Fee to use state lands and the terms of use are far more restrictive than Federal lands, a video on AZ is being considered.

Imagine the impact on recreational shooting in AZ if all BLM and USFS land was given to the AZ State Land Board - NO RECREATIONAL SHOOTING ON STATE TRUST LANDS OF ARIZONA. From my experience, the BLM and USFS lands of AZ get a LOT of recreational shooting activity; activity that would be illegal under State Transfer.

Actually, very few of the states allow recreational shooting on their state trust lands. I have asked some legislators to change that in MT, but they are not interested. Wonder if the NRA could get them to change that. Wonder if the NRA would support losing 600 million acres of BLM and USFS lands, most of which (not all) are currently open to public shooting, under the auspice of State Transfer.

 

[junior88]

I wholeheartedly agree that these lands get a lot of shooting activity. I've always been able to access state trust land with a valid hunting license. I will have to check to see if I need the recreational permit in addition to a hunting license. Thanks for the info

 

[Straight Arrow]

Although disappointed, I understand the reluctance to broadly allow recreational shooting on Montana state trust lands. A poignant example for me involves the state tract adjacent to and west of Gallatin County's Logan landfill. My son and I used that area for years of recreational shooting, but now it's closed. However, others also using the area continuously dumped large garbage items used initially as targets and left loads of other debris strewn all over the landscape. It amazed me that these irresponsible recreational shooters would haul in all the junk and garbage to a walk-in only area and just leave garbage scattered all over. It seemed to me that their rationale was that as public land near a dump, then they could dump on the public land as well ... without paying a fee.

Perhaps if sportsmen's' groups could step up to be responsible for maintenance of the recreational shooting areas on state trust lands, then it might be possible to get them opened up again for shooting.

Sadly, a recent news article pointed to the damages being caused by recreational shooting near campgrounds and other public areas in the national forest of the Little Belt Mountains near Great Falls. The complaints from campers, the shooting of trees, signs, and other inappropriate "targets" has resulted in the USFS issuing warnings. Likely those federal public lands will be considered for closure to recreational shooting if the irresponsible shooters don't somehow get reined in.

 

[TheTone]

Exactly what you mention and I bolded/highlighted above. ID has very similar rules for public recreation as currently exist on the Federal lands. Now, if ID continues their consideration of private hunting leases on State Lands, that changes things.

We have considered an ID video for the sake of showing that even if the access rules are good, look at how much land ID has sold. When it is sold, the access it gone. So, it is not out of the picture, just considering how it fits in the entire message that this series is designed to convey.

I wouldn't call state land access here good, we are basically told we are allowed to access state land but its not guaranteed and that state land is definitely not "public". If a person likes seeing clearcuts, massive weed infestations, cow pies and un regulated atv use then state land in Idaho looks great.

 

[6mm Remington]

Thanks for posting this. I hope it is okay as I posted this on some other sites to help spread the word!! Nosler - Lone Eagle Lodge - Eastmans - Rokslide

 

[Big Fin]

Thanks for posting this. I hope it is okay as I posted this on some other sites to help spread the word!! Nosler - Lone Eagle Lodge - Eastmans - Rokslide

Thanks for getting the word out. Greatly appreciated.

 

[Big Fin]

anything concerning Arizona?

We shot the AZ video today, so the series is now at 16 episodes. The more I researched the restrictions AZ has on using State Lands, the more I was stunned. I am looking further into ID. Today we shot a video about how much acreage each state has sold. Idaho got a lot of press in that one. Enough that ID may make the list as its own stand alone video, moving the series to 17 videos.

 

[RobG]

Here's some MT state land out towards Rob Ledford. Illegal ATVs running right through a patch of knapweed and heading up the hillside. The state can't manage the lands it has.