If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably discovered that I’m not a ‘Big Government’ advocate. Quite the opposite. While I will concede that we need to have reasonable rules and regulations in our society to maintain some semblance of order, I maintain that our current system of bureaucrat-run agencies has run amuck, and threatens our basic principles of ‘being free’.
One of the sources I check out each day is rvtravel.com
There was an article published recently that underscored my concern that unelected officials are stealing the public’s ability to enjoy the fruits of our nation, with rules and regulations that only ‘they’ will be able to define and enforce. The author lays out a Bureau of Land Management proposal to re-write their ‘authority’ that would bypass congressional input and/or oversight in the article.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with oversight over 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2), it governs one-eighth of the country’s landmass. Over the years, they have adopted policies that have restricted usage by the ‘public’ in the name of ‘preserving the pristine wilderness forever’. The question that never gets answered is, ‘If you’re going to maintain a pristine condition of ‘Public Land’ by not allowing anyone access to that ‘Public Land’, shouldn’t the ‘Public’ make that decision?’
There are many citizens who love to enjoy the peace and serenity of spending time in the vast expanse of our ‘public lands’, and do so in a responsible manner, leaving the land in as good if not better condition than they found it. Yes, there are those who don’t respect the unwritten rules of etiquette which needs to be addressed, but does the answer lie in closing off access to everyone, with control solely in the hands of a few appointed czars who are heavily lobbied by organizations who want their dictatorial views imposed on everyone? There is also the issue of private landowners who forbid anyone crossing their land to gain access to public land, when that is the only way to do so. It’s surprising to learn just how much land that is.
Our country is blessed with incredibly beautiful places. Most of us enjoy witnessing these national treasures firsthand. It would seem to me that it is our responsibility as citizens to make sure our ‘elected’ officials stop ignoring their responsibilities. They need to be reminded by us all regularly, that this is ‘OUR COUNTRY’… ALL of it. It’s referred to as ‘PUBLIC LANDS’ for a reason.