Dear editor:
My years of working with federal agencies as a county commissioner and state senator have taught me one thing.
If we ever have an opportunity to control our own destiny by taking control of the federal lands as a state, we should take it.
As the mood changes in Washington with each administration, to preserve and close areas to multiple use by eliminating grazing, recreation, timber harvesting, and other areas that are vital to our economy and way of life.
Combine these federal guidelines with other plans that might include wildlife management, water quality issues, less road maintenance or elimination of roads altogether, creates frustration among our citizens and local leaders who are expected to be at the hearings and meetings to insist that our rights are protected .
Anyone that has been involved in public land management hearings can understand the frustration when some of our own citizens who were crying for fairness in federal decisions are now crying to keep things the way they are in federal hands.
I've even heard that some Wyoming residents trust the federal government in land management decisions by federal agencies than our own state agencies if they had control.
I guess some might think it better to work with a representative from New York than a representative from Wyoming.
Now don't get me wrong, I love our public lands and wide open spaces but I do not enjoy arguing with federal partners shoving a ridiculous idea of why the grizzlies are needed in Yellowstone or why they cant harvest areas of an old growth forest but would rather it burn up.
I've always believed that the best decisions are made close to home.
I don't know much about the proposed land sale bill but if it was done correctly and the state was offered control over an area such as the Big Horn National Forest, we should take it and manage it as it should be managed.
My old battle cry was "Federal Guidelines, State Control, Local Decisions."
I know without a doubt that our state could manage that forest better. I grow tired of smoke filled air all summer long. It used to be unhealthy air from August to October. Now it seems we have unhealthy air from June to October.
There is nothing wrong with proper timber harvesting, reseeding efforts. The result would be a young and vibrant forest. No beetle kill, no ugly burned timber areas, and yes, even lumber and jobs for our economy. Preservation and letting it burn is no policy.
Give Wyoming a chance to demonstrate how a forest, water, wildlife, grazing, and recreation be managed. Give us 20-30 years and we'll show everyone the difference.
In short, there is a balance when it comes to public lands and I think we are up to the task of proving to the feds that we can do it.
Sincerely,
Ray Peterson, Cowley
Ray Peterson represented District 19 in the Wyoming State Senate from 2005 - 2019.
