Hobson letter: Public land
Our country is interlinked with public lands and parks we’ve all had a part in creating and maintaining. Managed by a duly elected federal government, these lands and resources are managed for our use now and for future generations.
What are we to make of those who dismantle a century of effort in order to remove land from the control of government and general citizenry for greed? Who are we as a nation once the great, open spaces are locked away behind “no trespassing” signs or when any militant group decides that their land-use needs supersede all others?
Federal lands, parks and facilities are the bone and sinew of this country, a physical manifestation of our being one people, one country. They represent a national response to environmental concern and conservation. They are the ties that bind. Efforts to undo 108 years of public land development are nothing less than un-American.
Rick Hobson, Boise
This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Hobson letter: Public land."