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Public Lands are for Public Use

Lets work as a people to conserve what is ours and what we love. It is something easy to have slip through our fingers if we don't each do our part.

By: Douglas Hall + Save to a List

Loosing our access to public lands that we all love would devastate anything we love to do outdoors. We have always had the battle between environmentalist and outdoor enthusiast, luckily we have many people that lie in the middle. We all want to see the amazing canyons and enormous towering peaks that lie within public lands, what if all of that disappeared within a short period of time?

With our recent election we are now getting close to having our public lands given up to people to privately own them, this is the last thing we would want to happen to the beauty that lies within our country. There are so many ways our country can save our public lands from becoming something someone can buy, I have made a list of things you can do yourself no matter who you are. They are simple things that cost you nothing but being able to enjoy your public lands within your area starting immediately.

Do these things and it will tremendously help our country keep our public lands from being sold:

  • Clean Up. Practice picking up any piece of trash you come across. I use my Trasharoo, a durable trash bag that hangs from the back of my Cherokee. Not only preaching pack it in, pack it out but also leaving an area you used cleaner than it was when you arrived. If each and every one of us started doing this we wouldn't have to even practice leaving an area cleaner than it was then when you arrived. I put this first on the list because I believe it is one of our most important things to advocate for keeping our public lands public.
  • Advocate. Practice telling friends and family about picking up trash they see. Whether it be laying on the sidewalk or sitting on your favorite trail, spread the word of picking up any amount of trash possible. Advocate to your clubs or groups of friends to organize a clean up of a public area you commonly use.
  • Tread Lightly. Stay on the beaten path. As much as all of us enjoy exploring and finding new hidden areas, tread lightly. If any area has signs to stay on the trail, they are there for a reason, stay on the designated trails to protect that area for others that wish to enjoy the beauty. If you are in an area where trail blazing is permitted then tread lightly, don't trample over everything and most certainly don't damage wildlife on purpose. Using dead and fallen trees for firewood instead of chopping down a tree or stripping it of its reachable branches is an awesome way to help protect the environment.
  • Respecting Authorities. Disrespecting authorities of any of our public lands is a huge no-no. They are trying to help keep our forests and parks safe and protected. As much as we like to free-roam and use the public lands to our enjoyment, respecting those who are working hard to keep areas open and safe should be respected at all times. Practicing this will help our country realize we are able to keep areas safe and clean ourselves. Respect those who are doing their job to help keep our parks and public lands safe and protected.

While these are only a few good ways you can help our public lands stay public, I am sure there are many more to pair up to these. Add to my post in the comments so that we can all share our opinions on ways we can keep our public lands public. I use public land almost daily whether it be riding my mountain bike, overlanding or going for a hike. If I didn't have the access to use these areas I wouldn't know what to do with my life, most of you on here I'm sure can agree with this.

A very good friend of mine Jason Fitzgibbon and a buddy of his made an amazing video to preach keeping our public lands for public use. Watch the video and think to yourself while you see the beauty of Oregon, what if we lost all of that land to private ownership? Our country is a beautiful place, lets keep it open to our use. Tread lightly my friends, clean up trash whenever you see it. Think of your favorite place to explore, clean it up and make it as beautiful as you can. Lets do this people!

Share this story as much as you possibly can and on any social media, this whole idea is what is going to save our public lands from being privately owned and or limited for our public use.

Link to the video and petition: http://ourlandfilm.com/

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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