By John L. Smith
...When it comes to the obvious need to make great changes in how we
address the issue of forest management and wild-land fire fighting,
there's almost no public appreciation for the importance of this very
Western issue.
Presidential candidates appear to know the
importance of water law and drought in the West, but you will rarely
hear one speak to the issues with a sense of passion and in any real
detail.
But that's the way it is in the West. Our votes are essential, but I don't think our real needs are understood.
The
public lands debate is another topic that promises to elicit a polite
and unremarkable response from most candidates. The stewardship of vast
expanses of land by the federal government is an important Western issue
not just in Nevada, where 85 percent of the real estate is controlled
by the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies. The uneven
enforcement of the law was a flash point of controversy long before
Logandale rancher Cliven Bundy entered the public eye.
...The latest crop of presidential candidates don't need to enter an
interview wearing a Stetson, but it would be refreshing if even a few
offered a substantial vision for issues unique to our side of the
Mississippi.
They might even win a few votes in the process.
Whoever
wins the White House next, let's hope the next president wants what's
best for the West — and is willing to expend energy on issues important
to us.
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