On the recordJune 12, 2020
I really think that our public lands are one of America's greatest democratic accomplishments. You think about the fact of how we became a nation. When you look at the history in Europe, people were locked out of the great lands of Europe. You look at all of the futile history that Europe had in wildlife and public lands. Lands and wildlife belonged to the King; they belonged to the Crown. If you were caught hunting on those lands, you could be put to death. You didn't have access to those lands later in European history unless you could pay for them. Our forefathers were very thoughtful about not wanting that to be the same approach in the United States of America and making sure that our wildlife was held in trust for all of us and that these lands would be held in trust for all of us. One of the greatest things about the Land and Water Conservation Fund, from my perspective, is that it really increased access to the national forests, parks, and other places that had already been created. I would be curious if my colleagues have stories about particular places that didn't have public access; that maybe for somebody just working in a small town, if there was an incredible mountain range or place you could hunt or fish or camp that was off limits, and because of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an easement or a trail or some other means of access was provided that opened it up to the working- class families of their constituencies.…
