“Here is your Country”

President Teddy Roosevelt, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, summed up the general feeling about public lands best: “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

In the mind of President Roosevelt, natural resources owned by the public were to be conserved and enjoyed by the many, not the few. Public lands belong to the people, and taxpayers should not be...