Public Lands Day: Show Up, Give Back, and Earn Your Seat at the Table
Saturday, September 26, is National Public Lands Day, and I almost let this one sneak past me. That would have been a mistake.
I've spent a good portion of my life working for public-land access and responsible motorized recreation. I've attended meetings, written letters, taught classes, organized volunteers, worked trails, hauled trash, repaired damage, built partnerships, and probably worn out more than a few pairs of gloves along the way.
So National Public Lands Day hits pretty close to home.
This year's theme is “Caring for Our Shared America.” I like that. Because public lands aren't somebody else's backyard. They are our forests, deserts, trails, campgrounds, waterways, historic sites, and open spaces.
And with that privilege comes responsibility.
Access and stewardship go together
Those of us who enjoy four-wheeling, overlanding, dirt bikes, side-by-sides, camping, hunting, fishing, and exploring the backcountry sometimes spend a lot of energy talking about keeping public lands open. We should.
But I've learned over many decades in land-use advocacy that our argument for access becomes much stronger when we're also willing to put boots on the ground to take care of those places.
Pick up somebody else's trash. Clear a drainage. Help repair a trail. Replace a sign. Join a work party. Help restore an abused campsite. Teach somebody why staying on the designated route matters.
And perhaps most importantly, bring somebody younger along and show them how it's done.
That's stewardship.
Mentorship may be our most important tool
I've been thinking and writing a lot lately about mentorship in responsible recreation. Rules and signs have their place, but nothing replaces one person showing another person the right way to do things.
Don't just tell somebody to stay on the trail. Explain why.
Don't just complain about litter. Pick it up where others can see you doing it.
Don't just criticize the newcomer who doesn't know trail etiquette. Teach them.
That's how we build the next generation of public-land stewards.
A seat at the table
I've said this for years: You cannot expect a seat at the table if you don't show up.
That applies to agency meetings and public comments, but it applies equally well to stewardship. When land managers see four-wheel-drive clubs, OHV organizations, hunters, campers and other recreationists volunteering their time and equipment to maintain public lands, it builds relationships and credibility. We become part of the solution.
National Public Lands Day is a good reminder of something we ought to practice all year long:
Use it. Enjoy it. Protect it. Give back to it.
Tomorrow, thousands of volunteers around America will do exactly that. Maybe you have an organized project nearby. Maybe you don't. Either way, the next time you're on public land, throw some gloves and a trash bag in the rig. Pick up something that isn't yours. Help somebody understand responsible recreation. Join the next trail workday.
And take a youngster or newcomer with you. Because public lands don't take care of themselves.
We do.
