On Public Lands

Something nagged me throughout our recent ride around northern Nevada. In 74 days, through eight counties, over 1,100 miles, the only people we met on the trail were hunters. Don't get me wrong -they were always incredibly friendly and extremely interested in my ride. Time and time again we bonded over a shared love of Nevada, its beauty and wildness, and yes, even the animals. I can't count how many times I heard hunters say, "We're so lucky to have this," as they gestured to the land around us. But it really began to bother me that I never encountered a hiker, a cyclist, a camper, or even another equestrian. This became a regular topic of conversation between Ryan and I. Why aren't people out here using this incredible resource? we'd ask each other. 

It takes a long time to plan a long ride. There are so many logistics to work out -- feed, water, gear, etc. But, even when I was planning my first ride, the one thing that didn't take long for me to decide was where to ride. I could have gone to any state, to any number of designated trails. But, it was obvious to me from the very beginning that I should take advantage of what was right outside my door.
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This is one of my favorite maps. The areas in red are public lands. Ponder it for a second if you will...

Every state has some public land, though the vast majority of it is in the West. Nevada has more than any other in the contiguous 48 states  (>80%). By comparison, look at Texas, which has <5% federal land. ​Essentially what that means is that if you were trying to do a long ride in Texas, you would be restricted to public roads because most of the state is private property.

But all those areas in red -- with a few exceptions -- are free and open for use by anyone. For me, this means I can create my own long ride routes, choose my own trails and roads from millions of acres of land, and never have to worry about getting permission from a landowner for access. I couldn't do what I do without public lands. Likewise, that opportunity is available for every other American who is interested in hiking, biking, hunting, camping, or any other recreational activity. 

Unfortunately, that freedom is under threat from people who think they have more of a right to the land than others. There is a movement underway to transfer federally-managed public lands to state ownership. Proponents readily admit that under their plan, millions of acres of public land would then be sold off to help states pay for the management of their remaining lands. Make no mistake, the privatization of public lands would be the end of open access for the rest of us. I saw very real evidence of this on my recent ride. 

• While riding in the South Egan Range (White Pine, Lincoln, and Nye Counties) I was stopped by a parcel of privatized land. (I am not sure whether this property was sold or is being leased from the BLM.) I was shocked to discover that ALL through-routes around the parcel were fenced off and "no trespassing signs" were in place, as evidenced by the photo below. No alternate routes were created or designated. We were effectively stuck without access through a parcel of unknown size. The fence line also cut off access to a year-round spring, which are critical during a long ride in Nevada. My only option was to follow the fence line around the property and hope it would eventually put me out on the other side so I could continue on my planned route. It did, but caused much confusion, delays, and we were forced to bushwhack through rough terrain to try to figure out how to get around the property. We were unable to access the water source.

• In Goshute Valley (Elko County) I was stopped by a large gold mine operation. The mining company closed the one (County-owned) through-road to all travelers. However, this was not indicated until the perimeter of the property. We arrived, discovered the signs (photo below), and were completely stumped as to how to proceed. We spoke with a contractor at the site and explained our situation. The contractor told us we were unable to travel through the mine property. When we asked for an alternate route for travelers she did not know of one. My only options were to turn around and go back the way we came or try to find a way around the property. I chose the latter. An alternate route was extremely difficult to discern, as there were no signs indicating which way travelers should go to avoid mine property. Eventually I had to just pick a road and hope I didn't get arrested for trespassing. In the end, the detour added dozens of miles and several days of extra travel to the ride.

• On the east side of the Pequop Range (Elko County) we were stopped by a locked gate and no trespassing signs on the only through-road. The signs included a phone number to call for access, which was impossible to do given the lack of cell service. We were stumped by the lack of access for travelers on what had always been a public road. Later that day we met a warden from Nevada Department of Wildlife. We asked him about the gate and signs on the road as well as the ownership status of the property. He did not know the status of the property, but told us the no trespassing signs were put up by Madeline Pickens, who owns some land in the area as part of her Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Resort. He added "She's bringing Texas to Nevada," apparently referencing private land.
  
  (Note: I have not verified the status of the land where we saw the locked gate and sign. I have not verified they were put in place by someone associated with Ms. Pickens' resort. But, I include the conversation with the warden because it did happen and I think it illustrates that people with good intentions have the potential to close off public land access.)  
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Ryan and I scouted all three of the previously mentioned locations in advance of the ride. At the times we scouted them, they had been open and accessible. There were other questionable issues of accessibility that occurred during the ride. They involve, what I believe to be, the willful intention by some land users to limit access of other land users.

• On a BLM road going into the Egan Range someone put a makeshift gate over the cattle guard. There was a chain closing the gate but no lock. There were no signs. I arrived there at the same time as a man in a truck. He got out of his truck and walked over to the gate looking puzzled. He asked me if I knew why the gate was there. I said no, but that I thought this was a public access road. He assured me it was and told me he worked for the BLM. He said the gate shouldn't be there and complained that it would only confuse people trying to access the public land, because it gives the appearance of private property.
  
  
• On a BLM road in the Owyhee Desert (Elko County), we came across a fence line and gate over the road. The gate was not locked, but there was a sign identifying it as "private property" belonging to a local hunt club. I was confused as this was the only road. We looked around and found an old BLM sign hidden in the brush. (Photo below) It had been shot through several times. The arrows on the sign indicated the road we were on was indeed a public through-road. I ignored the hunt club signs and went through the property to continue on my route.

• On a BLM road in the Bull Run Mountains (Elko County) we were stopped by a cattle guard. Normally where there is a cattle guard there is a side gate. In this instance the gate had "private property" and "no trespassing" signs on it. The signs identified the property as belonging to a nearby ranch. I ignored the signs and went through the gate to continue on my route. This was one of several ranches we encountered that had erected confusing "private property" signs on public through-roads.

Incidents such as these will only increase with the transfer of public lands. You may not like the federal agencies managing public lands, but do not be fooled into thinking the land would be better off under state control or on the auction block. It most certainly would not be better off for wild horses and other wildlife. This issue is only going to grow more contentious over time, especially following the recent court ruling regarding the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Public lands belong to all of us, not just those who make the most noise. I encourage you to get to know the public land in your state (every state has some!) and discover why it is worth preserving if not for you, then for others. And please make your voice heard. There are a number of organizations who are working hard to keep public lands in public hands.

If you are an equestrian, please check out Backcountry Horsemen of America here: https://www.bcha.org/
If you are a hiker, skiier, cyclist, etc., please check out Outdoor Alliance here: http://www.outdooralliance.org/.
If you are a hunter or angler, please check out Backcountry Hunters & Anglers here: http://www.backcountryhunters.org/

Also check out:
The Wilderness Society 
The Public Lands Foundation 
High Country News

My experiences with The Nevada Discovery Ride have very much reinforced the value of public lands for me. That's why I love long riding in Nevada so much and will do all my future long rides on public lands. I wish I had seen more people out enjoying public lands during my previous rides, particularly equestrians who have a stake in keeping trails open. But no matter your interest: If you don't use it, you could lose it.

​#protectpubliclands