Well, to be more precise my dues helped pay for the purchase, but what a choice piece of land. Abutting a wilderness area, the headwaters of a river, home to four federally listed birds and four federally listed mammal species of concern, what's not to like? Give is a relative word too. Sell at such a low price that the forest service snaps it up is more precise. A lot of orgs try to wheel and deal with the USFS, a piece here for a piece over there. We just want out of the land owning business.
Above, see the red checkerboarding? That's the land. Each square is a mile.
We believe that big government is the best caretaker of land for all citizens to use. Birdwatchers, campers, mountain bikers, fishermen, picnickers, canoodlers, entomologists, photographers, whateverers.
Credit where credit is due. This land was sold at a generous price by JoAnne Johnson, wife of D.R. Johnson and co-owner of D.R. Johnson Lumber Company, without JoAnne's generosity it never would have happened. Thank You JoAnn.
I belong to a conservation organization. Some people recently were questioning my use of the term "wise use" when referring to conservation. I use the word the way Teddy Roosevelt (founder of Progressive Party) did. It's wise use to save this land for everyone to use forever. It could be turned into housing developments instead of saving it for everyone to use. That is conservation.
The name of the org? The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation How do we raise this kind of money? Mostly by throwing banquets and charging a lot for tickets. Nope they don't send me heart wrenching emails or even worse junk mail that burns carbon to deliver and trees to make. We just buy the most crucial pieces of land we can think of and give them to the govt for all the people to use, wise use. 6.3 million acres and counting.
Update: Rec list, maybe people still hung over, If things follow as usual I'll be back into obscurity soon. Headed out to go dig post holes (work), got to pay the mortgage, short month coming up. I break, drink coffee, and read DK on cell phone.