Public Land Closures

[Hancock]

I have been retired, fulltiming and traveling the great USA for 7 years now. I'm a boondocker at heart and look for the National Forest and BLM lands for secluded retreats. Over these 7 years, I continue to be saddened by the rampant closures and restrictions of our public lands. I have traversed entire National Forest and BLM boundaries where there are no public accesses or those that existed have been barricaded or blocked. There are many places where we forbitten to pull off into our public lands and camp for a day or two.

I've continually felt and discussed with others the need for a organization that will represent us and fight these rampant closures.

Just this month while traveling in Idaho, I become aware of such a organiztion. It's called the "Blue Ribbon Coalition" and you can see their website at http://www.sharetrails.org/ . I studied the website and talked with several members. They appear to be a very professional and determined in fighting the needless closures of public lands.

I joined with a "life-time" membership and would like to encourage and ask those of you who are also concerned with this trend to consider joining. With our babyboom generation nearing retirement and the growth in the RV culture, taking our use of public lands away from us is terrible. Please join the fight to save our rights.

 

[TexasClodhopper]

Public Land Closures

It is like everything else; the few abusers control the greater majority.

One reason the feds have closed off public areas is because the drug culture uses them more and more. Another reason is that a few have destroyed entire regions by neglecting their fires.

From sexual preferences to gun-control to public land to land development to oil exploration; the few control the many. The majority just doesn't have the guts to stand up as a group for long periods of time.

 

[Hancock]

Public Land Closures

Hey TexasClodhopper,

Thanks for your reply and I agree with your observations. I feel that the unconscious violators are the "few"...the "very few" in fact. Most RVers leave their camp spots cleaner than they found them. Most break down fire pits and pick up the trash left by others. With that said.... I don't feel the Forest Service's response to shutdown the Public Lands to everyone because of a few is the correct one. They have more correct and fair options open to them. Most of those options require them to get off their butt, be ingenious, thoughtful and energetic so they most likely won't happen unless (and like you implied), we the public force them too.

The hard part is to get the "silent majority" organized and with a "voice". The "Blue Ribbon Coalition" is the only organization I have found so far that aggressively does this. They just need more willing members to compete with the likes of the Sierra Club.

BTW....I was raised in Tennessee and know how to "clod hop" too.

Best to you