This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For over 100 years, America's public lands have been places where we hunt, fish, recreate – and celebrate. Under the leadership of our greatest visionaries and conservationists, some of our most important lands and waters and critical fish and wildlife habitat have been conserved for future generations to enjoy.
We at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are honored to stand up for our public lands and outdoor opportunities alongside like-minded groups and individuals here in Salt Lake City at the "This Land is Our Land March for Public Lands" on July 27.
I am proud to have been raised in the West, cutting my teeth in the backcountry of the Bitterroot Valley and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. My fondest memories are early mornings in the duck blind with my father, fishing high mountain streams, hiking into the backcountry for fair chase of game and evenings around the campfire with family and friends. My appreciation of these experiences has only grown over the years, as I now enjoy watching my children explore our public lands, as well.
For many of us, however, public lands are more than a playground. They also form our livelihoods. Across the West, guides and outfitters, farmers and ranchers and thousands of businesses, large and small, depend on public lands to support their families. The outdoor recreation economy gives us even more to celebrate – about $887 billion reasons in direct consumer spending, 7.6 million jobs, and an annual $125 million contribution to local, state and federal coffers. We at BHA, along with representatives of outdoor-reliant businesses, will march together in support of outdoor recreation and the opportunities it provides our neighbors, communities and country.
Our public lands and waters support local jobs and business benefiting our local economies. Communities close to public lands create, attract and retain well-paying American jobs. Be it a local outfitter or new software company, these jobs can coexist with traditional industries like mining, logging and ranching. Particularly in the West, the common thread of public lands unites and strengthens us. These places offer each of us the ability to pursue our own individual versions of the American Dream.
These opportunities would not exist without our public lands. Thanks to the foresight of President Theodore Roosevelt and the conservation-minded leaders – Republican and Democrat – who followed him, we are a nation together are heir to an outdoors legacy that is both invaluable and irreplaceable. We must continue to follow in their footsteps. As father to two incredible children, I know the work we are doing is important not only to our economy but also to future sportsmen and outdoor users.
As we march through Salt Lake City, we will be celebrating what we have collectively accomplished and what we represent. We will be celebrating our commitment to the idea of public lands and the growing political force that is our community. And finally, we will be celebrating the future of our shared lands and waters – and the promise of continued prosperity and adventure that these places support.
Land Tawney is president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.