Nothing civil about Oregon refuge occupiers' disobedience
Brad Powell
4:44 p.m. MST March 14, 2016
... The lands never belonged to the states. Court decisions from the early days of our nation’s existence have repeatedly upheld the federal government’s authority to manage public lands in the public’s interest.
The occupiers contended they were speaking for the public when in fact most people want public lands to stay in public hands.
The latest Colorado College Conservation in the West poll found continued strong support for national public lands. The bipartisan poll showed that 65 percent of Arizona voters oppose a state takeover of public lands. In 2012, Arizona voters resoundingly said “no” to the idea, defeating a proposal by a 2-to-1 margin.
Arizonans know how valuable public lands are for recreation, for healthy fish and wildlife populations, hunting and angling, clean watersheds and boosting local and state economies. Outdoor recreation in Arizona generates $10.6 billion annually in consumer spending and supports 103,700 direct jobs, according to the Outdoor Industry Association ...
http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2016/03/14/oregon-refuge-occupation/81664360/
