A frequent slogan heard in the outdoor community is “keep public lands public.”
The catchy #KeepItPublic and #PublicLandOwner hashtags accompanying this mantra are heavily populated on social media. Over the last few years, public lands advocacy has gone mainstream. Seizing upon this momentum, outdoor retailer Patagonia, for example, publicly waged war on former President Trump—accusing him of being a despoiler of natural resources.
But where are these vocal advocates today when public lands access is actually under attack? (Crickets.)
Public lands belong to us. And efforts by the Biden administration to curb access—under the guise of health restrictions or to incrementally ban public land hunting—must be countered.
In the Age of COVID, Being Outdoors is Safer
If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s renewed interest in the Great Outdoors.
Escaping the indoors is perfectly in line with CDC guidelines, which says, “You are less likely to be exposed to COVID-19 during outdoor activities, even without the use of masks…” (While maintaining six feet apart, of course.)
The COVID pandemic even inspired the “Responsible Recreation” campaign in line with social distancing.
With this in mind, why is access being restricted—even as Americans get vaccinated? It makes no sense.