Keep Nevada’s public lands in public hands

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture census of agriculture, the number of Nevada farms increased from 3,131 in 2007 to 4,137 in 2012. At the same time, agricultural production acreage expanded from 5.865 million acres to 5.913 million acres. Each farm increased an average of nearly $21,000 in sales.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars from grazing fees on approximately 45 million acres of public rangeland goes directly into the Nevada state treasury to support our agricultural economy. Nevada Revised Statute 568 authorizes the funds to be used “for the construction and maintenance of range improvements or any other purpose beneficial to the stock raising and ranching industries.”

But as we’ve seen in recent headlines, not all ranchers pay their fair share for use of public rangelands. For more than 20 years, Cliven Bundy has given Nevada ranchers a black eye by refusing to pay the same fees other ranchers do. While Bundy proclaims that he doesn’t recognize the existence of the U.S. government, many other Western ranchers are proud to have “USDA Prime Beef” or “USDA Choice” labels, adding value to their meat.

Sadly, Nevada’s county and state officials are also discounting the important role of federal lands in preserving Nevada’s rural way of life.

On April 26, in Washington, D.C., Nevada’s lieutenant governor, Mark Hutchison, spoke before the Federal Land Action Group, a partisan congressional body organizing a legislative framework for removing public lands from public hands. He advocated for the “Honor the Nevada Enabling Act of 1864 Act” — sponsored by Rep. Cresent Hardy and Rep Mark Amodei — and proudly stated his long-time advocacy for transfer of federal land to the states.

He explained,“My specific duties as outlined by state statute are related to tourism, economic development and transportation.”

The Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group has tracked the public land grab dialogue. The land grab disrespects local tribes who lived on what is now called “public land” and who continue to use the land for traditional agriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering food and medicine plants.

With no federal protection, the potential for desecration of sacred sites and burial sites is immense.

Increased private development on public lands will pollute and diminish water supplies, killing vegetation and wildlife and turning the most arid state in the nation into a dust bowl with desertification. How will the land change when state and local governments maximize profits through increased mining, drilling and other resource extraction?

I worry about what Federal Land Action Group is planning and about the intentions and motives of Reps. Hardy, Amodei and Lt. Gov. Hutchison. This should concern every farmer, rancher and agricultural equipment, supply and service provider who benefits from public lands.

Public lands are good for our economy. They should stay in public hands so that all Nevadans can enjoy their use and take comfort that some portions are protected for future generations and to maintain our agricultural heritage and rural lifestyle.

Dr. Bonnie Eberhardt Bobb is director of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. She writes from Austin.