This subject sure smokes out why ANWR never happened.

A logical quote from someone from a state that doesn't even allow nonresident trapping. Par for the course.

You should go read these states' enabling acts then. They gave up rights to these lands to join the nation. That's their own fault. To those back east saying to sell them, stay home then. We'll be fine out west without your interference.

You and me both, I still say letting them in like that was treason.

Now we have to deal with the reality of it

Once it's gone, it's gone forever.

Acquiring public lands

Agencies generally acquire land by:

purchasing the land from a landowner
accepting donations of land from a landowner
exchanging federal land for privately-owned land or other property, such as timber
In FY 2013-2017, the 4 agencies used LWCF appropriations to acquire more than 850,000 acres—mostly within the boundaries of their land units. For example, federal land can encompass land that’s owned by other entities.

He asked a simple question and instead of thinking about his points you automatically go on the attack. And act like he is for it when he is just asking questions and making valid points.

Sad when a discussion can't even be had on a trapping website without this. No need to read past what 3 post.

Pretty much the way I see it. There’s always a remote chance it can “come back” or be returned so to speak, but we all know the probability of that. Happy trapping! ScottW

If you’re referring to the podcast, just know that Randy Newberg is a very strong and influential proponent of trapping and does have trapping on his channels a fair amount. He is also a very strong and well respected proponent of the North American Model of wildlife management and predator management. Just an FYI before you totally wrote off what they said and happened to not mention trapping. Happy trapping! ScottW

our state continues to buy land.

The total federal acreage decline (shown in Table 3) is a composite of various decreases in acreage in 15 states and increases in acreage in 36 states (including the District of Columbia). A reduction in federal lands in Alaska was a major reason for the total decline in federal lands since 1990. As shown in Table 4, federal land declined in Alaska by 23.0 million acres (9.4%) between 1990 and 2018. As noted, this decline in Alaska is largely the result of the disposal of BLM land under Alaska-specific laws. Specifically, from 1990 to 2018, BLM land in Alaska declined by 21.1 million acres (22.8%).
Since 1990, federal land also has decreased in the 11 contiguous western states, by 10.7 million acres (3.0%). Reflected in the overall decline are reductions for 6 of the 11 states, with decreases of 6.3 million acres in Arizona, 3.7 million acres in Nevada,41 and smaller decreases in four other states. Five of the 11 states each had increases ranging roughly from 0.2 million acres to 0.5 million acres, with the largest being 0.5 million acres in Colorado.
39 The 19.8 million acre figure used here includes land worldwide, more than 97% of which is in the United States. The

PF,

I’m sorry if that seemed attacking, I thought it was pretty casual and I’m attacking. I just didn’t feel the need to answer the question at the moment as I felt the answers were fairly obvious. FYI, I did read it and think of his points.

I think this has been a great and important discussion and I wish I could participate more but I just don’t have the time to write page upon page on it all though I’m trying to stay somewhat engaged since I was the OP. Happy trapping! ScottW

Wild lands are worth preserving for the sake of wilderness (even if that wild land is desert and sagebrush). A short 200 years ago, almost the entire continent was wild land with an abundance of wildlife such that it amazed the explorers that traveled through those wild lands. Now, in 2025, the furthest you can get from a road in the lower 48 is 18 miles.

That's not to say I think the feds should or shouldn't own it. I don't really care who owns wild land, as long as it stays wild and free to access.

Let’s sell it to the Chinese. Basically the premise for those who don’t want government owning land. No more WMA s, lakes are sold, Parks, National Forests . Do we really need every acre in this country farmed, devolved for housing, made into resorts,? It would seem to me of all the government waste in this country this issue would be pretty low on the totem pole. For guys who like row trapping maybe sell the ditches by States would be another way to save money?

A lot of it is people leaving big cities. The trend began during Covid, now it’s happening more and more. People have realized cities suck, the problem is when they relocate they bring the city with them. South Park did an episode about it, it was wildly accurate. I’m glad I bought real estate when I was younger (not that I’m old now, I was just apparently a wise man at 18-20 years old) because now land around here has skyrocketed because of people migrating from Washington, California, and Oregon (in that order it seems)

I hear ya.
I was raised within a 1/4 mile of where I live now, reality is,

The fields behind my house were farm ground until about 30 years ago, we hunted them and could shoot that direction without worry. Now its houses and a campground.

The farm next to it is over half gone, houses and businesses.

Use to be able to walk to hunt anything Pa. had to offer, now were boxed in by a 4 lane Hwy and houses in every field. When I got my drivers license, most roads but the main ones were dirt, now all paved. You could drive around and pull over to shoot groundhogs at any field you came to, now if the house isn't in the field, its inside the woods you'd be shooting towards.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the population is growing and they gotta live somewhere and the great river bottom farm ground around here is disappearing faster than I ever thought possible.

I love the emotional rhetoric on this thread. Trappers and the center for biodiversity working together.Public enemies

It’s not illegal or uncommon to have commonalities and similar beliefs on some things as our “enemies” whether it pertains to trapping or anything else.

I think it’s a positive thing to find a common ground and show some folks on the “other side” that we aren’t all bad! I know, it’s somewhat lip service and they’re gonna stab us in the back next chance they get, but I still believe it’s nice to come together in some way shape or form to benefit all, even if the benefit is only temporary (I.e.- maybe restrictions are put on the land down the road).

Folks can rag on the public lands and restrictions all they want, but its a trade off as once it’s private you generally have to work to TRY have any access whether it’s free or pay to use etc. Happy trapping! ScottW

I can agree I hate to see it happen, but I also take reality into consideration.

The population has doubled since I was born if you add the 20 some million illegals to the population, think about that.

Selling public land and stating its for affordable housing is a joke, the proponents have no idea of what the cost would be to develop the infrastructure to build homes and then the folks that buy the lots need jobs. Your better off tearing down the slums and putting factories in those areas for people to work. Most of the western lands are better suited to wildlife and recreational use. Some areas are all ready used to extract lumber, coal, oil, minerals and are used for grazing leases. Royalties are paid to the government and and 25% of the fees stay with the state in the form of PILT payment in lieu of tax money to the state and counties. So public land creates jobs, and tax money for the federal government and state well providing recreational opportunities for the public.