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Sept. 25 was National Public Lands Day. To commemorate this day, Nevadans from all walks of life did what they always do: They got outside. Many hiked, drove, biked or rode horses in beautiful places. Others participated in stewardship projects — building trails, picking up trash, removing graffiti. All on public land. Our land. Whatever the activity, our collective participation was a demonstration of love and appreciation for our nation’s lands.
So I was perplexed to hear Lt. Gov. Mike Hutchison hosted a “Public Lands Summit” a few days later to discuss how Nevada can take control of our public lands, manage them better; and can make money from our American heritage (“Hutchison hosting ‘summit’ on control of Nevada public land,” Las Vegas Sun, Sept. 29).
A state takeover surely would mean selling off our lands to private interests, closing them off to residents and the many generations who follow. There would be no more public land — no more Public Lands Days, no more freedom to explore wide-open spaces, no more collective stewardship of this treasure. And Nevada would forever be viewed as a thief, swindling the American people out of our greatest asset — America’s land.
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