When does PUBLIC LAND cease to belong to the public? Many years ago various entities decided that the general public was not entitled to use public land. What to do? They convinced the US government to turn some 70,000 acres of public land into a wilderness study area thusly removing it from public use until a study was made to determine wither it fulfilled the parameters to become part of a very special designation of WILDERNESS. Studies were done and it was determined qualifications were lacking.
So here they are some 15 or 20 years later, trying to convince the government that ‘everyone’ in the area wants that land declared Wilderness. I see the outfitters want it and that is understandable but I have not found anyone else on their extensive list of endorsers that can remember or even admit to being asked. Could it be that Jonny Tester is fabricating this support or is he simply mistaken?
Keep in mind folks, when a Wilderness area is declared, it is NO LONGER public land. Its use becomes land that is restricted to only those ‘publics’ that have the ability to walk in or ride horses in. Citing the USFS data only 6.4% of the public use the Wilderness areas so basically the other 93.6% of the public is told sorry you do not belong here. With the many present Wilderness areas along with the gated and roadless areas we must contend with, the remaining 93.6% of us are supporting land that is called public but is effectively private.
Please understand, I have no qualms with the Wilderness areas we are keeping virgin for future generations but to add more when only 6.4% use it now would be a travesty to the remaining 93.6% of the PUBLIC.
In closing I simply ask Senators Daines and Tester to do what they were sent to Washington DC to do and that is to represent the 96.3% of the country called the PUBLIC.
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