Illegal Obstruction of Public Land Access

[bullfrog !]

Seems a big part of the problem is the fact no one in the government made sure the public has access to all public lands. Seems like an uncommon common sense thing! Lol!!! You will be really upset if enough pressure is put on the government to claim imminent domain and force you to sell enough of your property to create access, ask me how I know as most of our family farm is under water at Cave Run Lake or a public boat ramp/campground! Lol and I now live in a National Park! Funny how those things work!

 

[Cajunwolf]

@jasper
I tend to agree, and it looks like we're from the same era or thereabouts; Stalin died a year after I was born. I remember the red scare and the cold war; I remember having to duck under a wooden desk wondering how it was supposed to protect me from the power of the atom; the good old days. I was a card-carrying liberal hippy in the 60s but reverted more towards a conservative family man as life changes one's perspective over time. Nowadays, all of that seems silly now, and the less attention I pay to the background noise, as I call it, the happier I am. Fewer people were struggling for resources than today, which is a large chunk of the problem. Back when Bob Wells was living in the wild, it was easy to find beautiful isolated pristine sites to "camp" for two to three weeks at a time; now, good luck, and there's trash everywhere. We are a filthy species. As to your point, I agree that everyone looks at things from their perspective and benefit; it's the nature of human nature. That and a good portion of the past two generations of helicopter parented, everyone gets a trophy generations don't think they should not have to work to support their existence but dream of a $125K class B van and living free off the land. LoL, I have a friend whose stepson runs an RV resale and repair business, and he says they're all trying to sell those expensive vans now that they can't pay for them. Life is funny. Be happy with what you have, live within your means, respect others' rights to do the same, and accept change with dignity.

 

[Cajunwolf]

Seems a big part of the problem is the fact no one in the government made sure the public has access to all public lands. Seems like an uncommon common sense thing! Lol!!! You will be really upset if enough pressure is put on the government to claim imminent domain and force you to sell enough of your property to create access, ask me how I know as most of our family farm is under water at Cave Run Lake or a public boat ramp/campground! Lol and I now live in a National Park! Funny how those things work!

That happened to my maternal great-grandfather in the early 50s when they built the dam for Lake Ray Hubbard near Dallas, Tx. It happened to a paternal great-uncle near Austin, Tx. for Lake Travis in the 30s (?) when damning up the Colorado River.

 

[USNvet]

Sooner or later, expect the guv to step in to resolve the public access question one way or another. This linked article is one example that you've probably seen before: https://archive.ph/hjr0N

Reminds me of the Kevin Costner series Yellowstone! Just decline if anyone offers you a ride to the train station!

 

[egilbe]

I believe there is a case before the supreme court right now in regards to public land access. Much of the west is a mix of public and private land in an alternating checkerboard pattern. The railroads in the 1800's realized they could do this and control large swathes of land without having to purchase all of it. They effectively controlled 100% with only owning 50%.

With GPS, one can mark the corners of two pieces of public land and step across the corner without actually stepping on private property. The land owner, not wanting to give up his private access to public land is arguing that he also controls the airspace above his property and the hunters were trespassing.

It's my belief that if you own property landlocking public land, you should be required to provide an easment to allow the Public to recreate on it.

Property ownership is absolute ********.

 

[wayne49]

I saw this checkerboard on the ground in Crescent Valley, Nevada.

The thing is the squares are not that large, and locals have created some tracks into the areas. Nothing was built on the private squares, and there was no fencing.

This may be only true in that location. As far as I could tell, no signage was there, one could hike in, or drive in on existing tracks, and camp for 14 nights on BLM land.

The local elementary school in St. Paul, Minnesota, where I did 5th and 6th grades was named after one railroad robber baron, James J Hill.