Disgust - Selling out for Photo/Marketing Opportunity

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by ruffy71

How much of that land should be opened up? Can you put a percentage on it?

Because I believe it is a slippery slope. Open up a million acres, and in another 75, hundred years, a couple of generations from now, people will be saying,

"cmon give some young farmers a chance, get some more of that land into production for the betterment of us all"

What will stop us from going the way of the US and Europe, what will slack the thirst for private land 50 years from now, 100 years from now?

Nothing.. Absolutely nothing will stop this. Especially with the changing weather.. The prime farm land weather wise will shift as the the weather patterns change.

[ruffy71]

Well it sounds as if there is no need for this right now. There isn't high demand for our agriculture. With the Chinese B.S. still going on, farmers are universally concerned about oversupply and low prices.

Hold on to that land for as long as we possibly can.

[JamesB]

Originally Posted by ruffy71

And a large percentage, of that large percentage in western US, is desert.

The amount of private land appropriated by the gov't is tiddly winks in the overall scheme of things. For all intents and purposes, private land stays private land. The only large chunks that revert back are given back by the owners themselves.

Again, we are talking scales here. The amount of private land that is managed for maximum wildlife and natural pristine quality is drops in the bucket compared to crown land.

Again, look at central and southern alberta from the air. Miles and miles of farm land in 1 x 2 mile blocks stretching out in all directions to the horizon. That is not to blame on the cities, and it is not pristine natural land.

Am I mad at the farmers? for **** sake, no, my family comes from farmers. I've spent hours on a combine. But the truth of it is, if you want large areas of natural area, you need to leave it alone and that will never work out if it is sold into private hands.

Your post suggested that there was very little public land in the US, not that there was very little arable public land. So, yes there is still alot of it out there.
Government can appropriate land. The fact that they do not do it much does not mean that they can never do it. I am far more worried about government controlling land than I am about the lack of pristine wilderness. Apparently there are quite a few here that think government control equates to environmental protection, that is not always the case.

[operator john]

Just listened to a great Podcast about this very subject.
Once it is gone from Public to Private, then the hunting, fishing and any form of recreation will be gone.

Boycott this at any cost.

It's like the ice in your drink, once it's gone, its gone.


John

[Savage3006]

I am 100 percent behind keeping as much rural land as possible as public land. Its up to us rural people to demand our elected figureheads know and fight for this. The weekend warriors in the cities dont really give a hoot.

[buckbrush]

Originally Posted by Savage3006

I am 100 percent behind keeping as much rural land as possible as public land. Its up to us rural people to demand our elected figureheads know and fight for this. The weekend warriors in the cities dont really give a hoot.

So the 'Weekend warriors' from the city don't care if public lands get sold?
Please explain.

[bsmitty27]

Crown land should never be sold. The only reason gonverment sells off value holding assets is for a short term balanced budget and the ucp is going to want to prove how they can balance a budget, so watch out!. Its short sighted and on the backs of the people!
We dont need more ag land, we dont need more rural acerages. Increased urban densities is the answer increasing populations.
And yes once it's gone it's gone, dont kid yourself. Let's get togeather on this as outdoors enthusiasts we need to protect our crown land.

Brad

[operator john]

Originally Posted by Savage3006

I am 100 percent behind keeping as much rural land as possible as public land. Its up to us rural people to demand our elected figureheads know and fight for this. The weekend warriors in the cities don't really give a hoot.

The weekend warriors should give a hoot. Look at the privatization of crown land that happened on Vancouver Island. Then up went the gates restricting and land locking even Provincial Parks, now even the Weekend Warriors are out of luck.

Don't allow the politicians to continue forward with this. Notify your MLA's that this is not acceptable, write letters to your newspapers or any other social media outlet you can think of. Talk to other groups like Hiking, Biking, Fishing Groups.

It's a slippery slope.

John