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Submitted by Steve DeMers on Thu, 2017-07-13 00:00

Idaho has been blessed with a huge amount of public land.  Humans benefit from these lands in many ways.  When I consider all of the ways that  I use our public lands I feel blessed to live in Idaho.  Upon moving here from the Midwest in the late 90's I noticed that people had a different attitude towards public lands.  I noticed that treasure valley residents, especially north Boise and Eagle catered their lifestyles around public land access and recreation. I'm unclear if you can place a monetary value on our public lands but I do know that most of us that live here would be very upset if we were to lose access to them.  Personally I rely on our public lands for practically all forms of recreation in my life.  I have considered moving from Idaho in the past but upon reflecting on my hobbies and interests I came to the conclusion that I don't live here because I want a high paying job but I live here because my playground is huge and I don't think I will find anything like it again.  I'm here to stay and I want to keep playing!

 

What do you think of the privitazation and state control of our public lands?

Comments

Fabiola Stewart's picture

Submitted by Fabiola Stewart on Thu, 2017-07-13 16:06

Upon moving here from the Costa Rica and the South, one thing that I noticed right off is how BIG Idaho: big mountains, big skies, big trees, big landscapes. It is very impressive how much and how far we are able to go. It is all so majestic. My husband is a hunter and marrying into that lifestyle has defintiely opened my eyes to see what he sees. What it feels like to hike through the mountains and walk on top of ridges. You feel like you are top of the world. There is so much. It is awing, majestic, inspiring. It would be difficult to have all those moments and experiences taken away. 

Troy Gleave's picture

Submitted by Troy Gleave on Thu, 2017-07-13 19:15

Where would this high paying job you speak of be?? Driving through Wyoming I got a deeper appreciation for what we have in Idaho. I know they pay a good deal more money to work there, but man I absolutley could NOT live there. My family and I get out and go as much as possible. We camp, fish, hike, hot spring, boat, paddle board, kayak, swim all on public access land.  We were in Cascade a few weeks ago and I came away from there dissappointed that there wasn't more access to that beautiful lake. The few public access points there are were all so full of people that it made it hard to enjoy it. I am thankful that you can take a short drive up past Lowman and go get lost in beautiful Idaho with no problem getting access or going anyplace.  The mountains and water make it such a beautiful and relaxing get away that I don't ever want to live anywhere else..except maybe in the winter in Belize...

Submitted by Todd Thompson on Thu, 2017-07-13 21:20

When I first cam to Idaho many years ago, I drove from Ontario to Nampa and thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" From that vantage point I wasn't able to see the true beauty and majesty of Idaho. As a college student, I had a desire to explore. Friends that had grown up in Idaho introduced me to Bogus Basin, Idaho City, Silver City, and many of the most beautiful places I had ever seen and had the pleasure to visit. 27 years later, my family, friends and myself still enjoy Idaho's landscape, natural resources and the incredible ecosytems we have here. 

I believe in the careful management of public lands. Privatization of public lands is an injustice to everyone. Why should Idahoans be limited on what they see, experience and use. On the other hand, managed public lands that aren't cared for or managed properly take away from the beauty and enjoyment. I think their is a fine line that our state organizations have to follow in order to keep Idaho relaxing, amazing, and adventurous.