Budgets for the four federal land management agencies—the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and US Forest Service—have been declining since the early 2000s. As of 2018, these four agencies report an almost $20 billion maintenance backlog.

Energy Production

One key funding source is the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) that uses revenues from oil and gas extraction on public lands to fund federal public lands projects and provides public lands related grants for state and local organizations. This fund has supported projects in every county in the U.S. and has an average return of $4 in economic value on every dollar invested.

Although this fund is authorized to receive $900 million dollars each year and has strong bipartisan support, Congress has frequently diverted funds to the total of $22 billion. Fortunately, the LWCF received full and permanent funding under the Great American Outdoors Act that passed in 2020.

Much of the oil and gas extraction that funds the LWCF occurs on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but it also includes offshore extraction. The cost of leasing and royalties for these operations has remained stagnate and is well below that of key energy states like Texas.

Currently, hardrock mining (e.g. copper, gold, silver) on public land does not pay leasing or royalties, and taxpayers front the bill to remediate abandoned mines.

Solar and wind are relatively new energy-producing players on public lands, and bills have been introduced to distribute revenues back to states and counties with some earmarked for conservation.

Hunting and fishing industry fund public land conservation. // Photo courtesy of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation is an $887 billion industry and relies on access to and the infrastructure on our public lands to thrive. Hunting and fishing have long been funders of public land conservation.

The Pittman-Robertson Act (1937) and Dingell-Johnson Act (1950) levy a 3- to 12-percent tax on licenses and related sporting goods, including ammo and firearm sales, providing key funding for state wildlife agencies. However, the number of hunters in the U.S. has been decreasing since a peak in the ‘80s.

There is some evidence that this decrease may have stalled during COVID, as many states saw an increase in new hunters. But, just like federal agencies, state wildlife agencies are seeing annual deficits in the millions.

Talk of applying a similar tax to other outdoor recreation gear, from tents and kayaks to sleeping bags and backpacks, has been around for years but has received a lot of pushback from the outdoor recreation industry. Washington State has proposed HB 2122 that would put a 2/10 of one percent tax on outdoor equipment over $200, but that legislation seems to be on pause.

Surveys find that the vast majority of outdoor enthusiasts would approve of a small increase in equipment prices going to public lands. This new funding source would also be an opportunity to engage users in conservation before they step foot on a trail.

From rural jobs to fire mitigation to climate solutions, our public lands are more important than ever and need to be fully funded. Even before COVID-19, people were flocking to public lands in record numbers.

The recently introduced and strongly bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act looks to help with some of the ongoing budget shortfall and would help protect at-risk plant and wildlife species, but much more needs to be done. The incredible network of U.S. public lands that support wildlife diversity and outdoor recreation were set aside for the good of all Americans and deserve to be fully funded.

Learn more in the Public Lands Special Section archive, originally published in the September-October 2020 print edition.

[Feature photo by Aaron Theisen. // Okanogan Highlands]

The post Who Pays (and Doesn’t) for Public Lands? appeared first on Out There Venture.

Eastern Washington and North Idaho include millions of acres of public lands. Most of us have seen only a small fraction of these lands and waterways. But even the exhaustive explorer can fall into the habit of experiencing public spaces through a singular lens: as a trail runner, for example, or a mountain biker or a bird watcher.

To broaden my own lens, I sought help from people I admire to describe how they love their public lands and waterways.  

1. Learn the story of the land. 

“Within the landscape is a really interesting story,” says Nigel Davies, geologist at Eastern Washington University. Places like Palisades Park and Escure Ranch are full of basalt, whereas the granite and igneous rock at Willow Lake and Beacon Hill show intrusions that occurred more than 40 million years ago. “No one public land holding can capture the complexity of a region or geologic story.” 

2. Learn who loved this land first. 

The Salish-speaking people who inhabited the upper Columbia River watershed before it was settled by European immigrants have much to teach us about the land we live on and its natural and human history. Today, the Upper Columbia United Tribes is working to reintroduce salmon in the upper Columbia River. Their efforts remind us what has been lost and what may be recovered with community support. 

Love your public lands and waterways: Columbia River (top left), Photo: Summer Hess // Mount Spokane State Park (top right), Photo: Holly Weiler // Upper Stevens Lake (bottom left), Photo: Chic Burge // Riverside State Park (middle), Photo: Hank Greer // Kettle Range (bottom right), Photo: Holly Weiler

3. Hunt or harvest. 

This spring I accompanied local falconer, Doug Pineo, into the Palouse to hunt upland birds. Not only was it fascinating to hold and see the falcons close-up, the experience gave me insight into the way hunters might feel when they go out on the land in the early morning to hunt game. All of my sensory capacity was engaged with the land, the wind, and the hidden heartbeats of the birds.  

4. Recreate somewhere new. 

From watching the sunset at Steptoe Butte to fishing the St. Joe, paddling the Winchester Wasteway, biking along the Trail of the Coeur d’ Alenes, hiking in Riverside State Park, cross-country skiing on Mount Spokane, bird watching at Turnbull, or picnicking at Liberty Park, there are as many ways to recreate in public lands as there are acres to enjoy.  

5. Sketch the landscape. 

As natural history illustrator, Julie Zickefoose, writes, “to draw is to see, is to understand. If you would know how something is built, draw it.” Local watercolor artist, Amalia Fisch, says, “When I paint, I notice the color yellow, the shadows in a tree, how the light hits leaves and how you can see through them. Drawing requires me to be fully present.”  

6. Love the plants. 

I love hiking with my botanist friend Amy because I am forced to stop speed-walking and talking, and slow down to marvel at wildflowers, trees, and shrubs. Of the many species she has introduced to me on our walks, my favorite has been the Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo spetica), which she found one day on the bluff.   

7. Get acquainted with wildlife. 

The Inland Northwest is home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, moose, sage grouse, foxes, coyote, wolf, turkey, porcupine, bobcats, and trumpeter swans. Some (like turkeys) are easier to spot than others, but all can be found with a little patience and persistence.  

8. Steward your land. 

One of the most satisfying ways to give love back to public lands is to steward it. Todd Dunfield, Community Conservation Manager at the Inland NW Land Conservancy (INLC), finds his passion in trail work. “I love the practicality of working with my hands and seeing a lasting impact.” Stewardship can also include picking up trash on a hike, building mountain biking trails, cleaning up the river corridor, and planting trees.  

9. Protect land and water. 

Despite legal protections, our lands and waters are increasingly threatened by development, pollution and de-regulation. Jerry White, the Spokane Riverkeeper, has been at the forefront of battles over pollution in the river and has been holding regulators accountable for upholding the laws that protect land and water. “Our laws are only as strong as we are willing to enforce them,” he says. “Water protection requires constant vigilance.” 

10. Share with someone you love. 

When I asked Carol Corbin, Philanthropy Director at INLC, how she loves her public lands, she said she likes to learn things to share with her son. “I tell stories in any way I can about how amazing (and fragile) this place is. It’s been through massive transitions and is so beautiful. I feel lucky to live here.”  

So do I. 

The post 10 Ways to Love Your Public Lands & Waterways appeared first on Out There Venture.