Maybe this thread will shed some light on the realities of how LITTLE control over anything, we as a people actually have. The only land anyone controls is that which they OWN!!! I don't mean land that someone makes payments on, because until the loan is paid off, YOU DON'T OWN IT. The bank owns it until you pay them back. This "Public" everyone speaks of isn't about people at all. It's the convenient title politicians, money grubbers, and other diseased individuals use to stave off outrage by the common folk who not only pay the bill, but get BOHICA'ed to boot. Public land is NOT controlled by the public. Never has been. ALL "Public" land is controlled by some small group of individuals, be it the BLM, COE, Park Service, F&W, G&F, yadda yadda, yadda and it is THEY who decide what happens on those lands they control. In the same fashion, "Public" transportation is NOT controlled by the public. "Public" Utilities are NOT controlled by the public. "Public" buildings are NOT controlled by the public, BUT WE AS THE "PUBLIC" SURE AS HELL PAY FOR THEM!!!!! In each of these examples, the control is held by those few so called "elected officials" "Council Members", "Board Members", or "Representatives" who then decide IF, When, How, Why, and for HOW MUCH, people are allowed access to these so called "Public" items. Most of these so called "Public Lands" being discussed are simply "Open" to public access for various activities. These lands can be "Closed" just as easily by those who control them. If the controlling entity wants to sell, transfer, burn down, plow under, or otherwise exclude people, there is very little we as a people can do about it, because it's NOT OURS. Even congress doesn't have control over these lands as most of the authority has been legislated or delegated to these smaller groups through various means. Like it or not, this is how it is right now and until we, as a people, force it to be changed though active lobbying, voting, and exposing these realities, this is how it will remain.