re: HR 621 - Selling Off Our Public Lands - to be withdrawn

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Speaking of WY, show me a private holding that even comes close to touching the Wind Rivers in terms of wild environment, even if on a smaller scale.

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First I wish to point out that we have overwhelming agreement with wilderness and its use.

I will pick land close to private property I own:
Joyce WMA is a 27,487 acre tract located in southern Tangipahoa Parish five miles south of Hammond, LA. The 12,809 acres that originally comprised the WMA was donated by the Joyce Foundation in 1982. In 1994, an additional 2,250 acres was donated to LDWF by the Guste Heirs. The 8,364 acre Salmen/Octavia Tract was acquired in 2008 and the 2,729 acre Dendinger Tract was acquired in 2010. An additional 851 acres and 484 acres are leased from the Joyce Foundation and the Tangipahoa Parish School Board, respectively.

This entire area is a wetland within the Pontchartrain Basin and consists primarily of cypress-tupelo swamp. A large portion of the area is a dense shrub-marsh community with red maple, wax-myrtle, red bay, and younger cypress-tupelo. A 500 acre fresh marsh of primarily maiden-cane is located on the northern portion of the property. Recently, a Limited Access Area (LAA) was established in the northwestern corner of Joyce WMA. The LAA prohibits the use of internal combustion engines year-round (see WMA map for specific location).

The most sought game animals on Joyce WMA include white-tailed deer, waterfowl, rabbit and squirrel. Freshwater fish, including largemouth bass, sunfish, and catfish are also pursued on the area. Alligators and a variety of other herpetofauna are common on this WMA. Bald eagles and osprey nest in and around the WMA. Numerous other species of birds, including neotropical migrants, utilize this coastal forest during fall and spring migrations. Resident waterfowl, including wood ducks, mottled ducks, hooded mergansers, and black-bellied whistling ducks, are found on the area year-round.

I picked this now public land for several reasons. This was federal land acquired by the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of Spanish Florida. It was sold to private individuals. It was later donated to the State of Louisiana not the BLM. The state officials decided to make it a public WMA. Most of the land around it is private property and is indistinguishable from it. Private ownership for centuries and state ownership today created a wilderness accessible to people outside of federal control!

The big difference between you and I is faith in the federal government to keep public access to "our" birthright. We do not own it! We share it with your fatassed pussies, PETA, and millions and millions of urbanites who think public lands mean at most a road trip to Ole Faithful. They already outnumber outdoorsmen! How far behind save the whales will be followed by save the elk? If I had a dollar for every time I've heard hunting called murder, I'd be adding to my stock of frozen elk right now. I'm down to one small roast that I regularly check for signs of freezer burn. Think I'll cook it this weekend before I lose it.

New York and California cannot easily prevent Louisiana citizens from hunting state or private property. But they sure as hell can keep us out of the National Forests!