Selling of Public Lands.

[Colorado Cowboy]

The Trump administration is studying the idea of liquidating public lands to private investors to fund something called Sovereign Wealth Fund. Trump quietly signed an Executive Order (Secretarial Order #3418 "Unleashing American Energy" ) that orders Sec of the Interior begin a review of all land for fossil fuel and mining development. This order proposes that selling lands to private investors will generate Trillions of dollars to pay off the national debt.

Be diligent my friends.............................

 

[ScottR]

Here is what I am really upset about....

We weren't dilligent on fighting against our national debt, for YEARS. Now we are in a position of desperation where we are making a lot of HARD decisions all at once. Most of them fueled by bad decisions for years that set us up to have a giant national debt that has us paying so much in interest that it can criple the economy...

 

[JimP]

I'll have to say that for us that live and hunt here in the Western US is that we have been spoiled with unlimited access to millions of acres to hunt. Quite unlike our fellow hunters east of the Mississippi River where you need to purchase leases or pay landowners for the privilege to hunt on "Their" land.

I don't know about other states but the Legislature of Utah is looking at selling state owned lands. It may start with state owned school trust lands but they are looking at it. If you look at it school trust lands were set up for the states to make money off of. Be it leasing or selling their whole business of existence is for the state to make money off of them for the schools in the state.

It is no different in my mind for the federal government to sell off lands that they own. They already allow mining claims that can and do block off the public access along with logging operations that don't allow hunters to access the land.

It all is a slippery slope and as Scott mentioned the US needs to get money from somewhere. The spending of the government is way out of hand and something needs to be done. I know that if I need some extra money I can sell things that I no longer need for that extra cash and this is what I believe that the government is looking at. The sad thing is that it is going to be the public that is going to suffer.

I wonder how much they could get for a few National Parks if they sold them. Then let the person or group that bought them develop them as they see fit. Not to mention charge for the access to them.

 

[ScottR]

Just to be clear, I AM NOT in favor of outright sale of public lands. I am in favor of logging the tar out of over burdened forests, adding extra fees to tourists from outside the country for using our national parks, anything and everything that can be dedicated to beating this albatross of debt we have acquired.

 

[dan maule]

Just to be clear, I AM NOT in favor of outright sale of public lands. I am in favor of logging the tar out of over burdened forests, adding extra fees to tourists from outside the country for using our national parks, anything and everything that can be dedicated to beating this albatross of debt we have acquired.

Agree 100%, the sale of large chunks of federal lands would be devastating for all outdoor enthusiasts. Instead of ethically managing the land for the American people, harvesting timber and generating revenue and jobs, we get our lumber from Canada and let our forests die, fall down and burn. Stupid is as Stupid does and it doesn't matter if it's a young person going crazy with a credit card or the Federal government selling out the public to buy votes for themselves, the chickens come home to roast. I hope we don't have to sell our federal lands to pay for the asinine out of control spending that our government has engaged in, but I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

 

[ScottR]

Agree 100%, the sale of large chunks of federal lands would be devastating for all outdoor enthusiasts. Instead of ethically managing the land for the American people, harvesting timber and generating revenue and jobs, we get our lumber from Canada and let our forests die, fall down and burn. Stupid is as Stupid does and it doesn't matter if it's a young person going crazy with a credit card or the Federal government selling out the public to buy votes for themselves, the chickens come home to roast. I hope we don't have to sell our federal lands to pay for the asinine out of control spending that our government has engaged in, but I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Also to be clear, we shouldn't give up either. Mineral sales to the rest of the world could very quickly pay off large chunks of the national debt.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I find it interesting that you guys are only concerned with what will happen to OUR public lands and not one bit about the "Sovereign Wealth Fund" that gives trump and his goons access to all the $$$ they can pilfer from our country by putting it in the fund that has ZERO oversight on where it came from and where it goes.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

That's because at this point nobody knows anything about the "Sovereign Wealth Fund". Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan within 90 days (of Feb 3rd), detailing funding mechanisms, investment strategies, fund structure, and governance models. Whatever they come up with will be fought through the court system, changed by future legislatures and so on. I think it is a little premature to be for or against something that currently only exists as a concept. The sale of public lands is something that will be very difficult to impossible to undo, and the consequences are obvious.

That's why I said....Be diligent my friends. You never know what's coming with this administration.

 

[swampokie]

Im strongly against liquidating public lands period! This is the one and only issue that i agree with dems on. I think trump is doing a lot of good but he is an arrogant man with the desire to make " deals" even if its not in the greatest interest of the majority. The dems are absolutley a freakshow but im afraid that he mite be nearly as fruity on the other end of the spectrum.

 

[HuskyMusky]

I always thought instead of the nature conservancy.... kinda the same idea but allowing some hunting/hunters...

 

[tim]

question for you folks. What does the us government do with the land that the abandon post office sits on?
I am against selling our national forest off, but what about all the little pieces in towns and such that are not used anymore?

I don't know the answer.

 

[JimP]

question for you folks. What does the us government do with the land that the abandon post office sits on?
I am against selling our national forest off, but what about all the little pieces in towns and such that are not used anymore?

I don't know the answer.

The local US Post Offices in my area are leased buildings and not owned by the US Post Office or Government.