BY STEVE MARTIN
Public lands have shaped this country and our view of who we are as Americans. They have benefited each of us—ecologically, economically, recreationally, and spiritually. Increasing population and opportunity for travel have intensified the pressure we are imposing on these places. Current levels of protection are quickly becoming inadequate to preserve these lands while meeting the demands of visitation and use.
We have entered an era of rediscovery of public lands that offers great opportunities for citizens and the Grand Canyon Trust to make a lasting difference. Public lands on the Colorado Plateau encompass some of the most beautiful, inspiring, wild, and threatened places in the world. These lands include not only national parks, but also areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.
The public lands of the Colorado Plateau are held in trust for the people of the United States. Inherent in the mission statements of the agencies responsible for our public lands is the mandate to preserve them for the benefit of present and future generations.
Every few generations, we have transformed how we view, value, and use these lands. Over the last 200 years, these lands have been used to settle the West, fuel industry and agriculture, accommodate timber, mining, and grazing, and form national parks. These are all valid pursuits that should continue where appropriate. But it’s time once again to reassess how we protect and use public lands before key elements of them are lost.
People from around the United States and the world visit the Colorado Plateau to enjoy its natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational features. These lands are also extremely important to the future of Native American tribes. Current levels of visitation have made it clear that the proportion of lands set aside is too small, placing too much pressure on existing parks and monuments. The greatest need is to increase the percentage of lands designated for recreation, inspiration, protection of tribal values, and tourism.
Two-thirds of all lands once held by the federal government have been distributed and are no longer in the public trust. Some believe that the remaining lands should be similarly allocated. But that era of distribution is in the past. The federal government still holds about 500 million acres of land not in national parks and monuments. Protecting cultural, natural, and recreational values on even an additional 10 percent of these remaining lands could greatly enhance the legacy that we leave for future generations.
And we cannot merely increase the protection and hope for the best. We must also ensure that agencies have the resources and oversight necessary to accomplish this expanded conservation mission.
As citizens who value these lands and believe in the need to safeguard them for the future, we need to work together and act now.
"Two-thirds of all lands once held by the federal government have been distributed and are no longer in the public trust."
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Testament to a great conservation law and the resilience of Indian tribes. Read now ›
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Why the federal lands takeover movement can’t be ignored. Read now ›
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Balancing the art and economics of America’s public lands. Read now ›