Public lands must stay in hands of the public

We are so fortunate in our community to have such great access to open spaces, wilderness, clean water, abundant wildlife, and spectacular fisheries.

That’s why I was alarmed to read in the Daily Bee that Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest River, supports a proposal for the state of Idaho to take over national forests and other public lands. In his opinion, we would be better served by managing these lands for maximum profit. Who knows? Maybe the state could even sell these lands to the highest bidder. Then we could do nothing but watch as what’s left of our undeveloped lakeshores become residential developments and gated communities just as they have along the east side of Priest Lake.

Rep. Anderson could learn a lesson from the late Teddy Roosevelt, who wrote in a letter to Gifford Pinchot, “By keeping the public forests in the public hands our forest policy substitutes the good of the whole people for the profits of the privileged few. With that result none will quarrel except the men who are losing the chance of personal profit at the public expense.”

DENISE ZEMBRYKIand RON MAMAJEK

Sagle