Editor,
Having read the Desert Town Reflections by Dan O’Connor in your opinion section, I felt compelled to put a slightly different spin on this subject of “This land is yours”
First off, whilst rusticating throughout many years in the high desert on my Suzuki ATV, I have often hummed along to that folk song that Dan mentioned. It was written by Woody Guthrie in 1940.
It was “This Land is Your Land”. During all that time that I was out there enjoying the ambiance, I couldn’t help but think how lucky that I am to live in a state with seemingly endless adequately maintained trails and gravel roads to get away from the 21st century, if only for a day.
Mr. O’Connor suggested that much public land should be relinquished and allotted to private interests.
Currently, I have seen a lot of federal land already being used for grazing & mining, which most would agree is a win-win for everyone. I don’t have to say that compared to other states, Nevadans are very fortunate to have so much multi-use public land to use for recreation and simple rusticating.
I’m told by friends out of state back east, that unless it’s a large public park, there aren’t many options for riding a side by side or ATV for a whole day in any direction. Everything is private, seemingly fenced off property.
Enough of that argument, what concerns me is who would assume control and responsibility of land forfeited for private use?
Comparatively, some corporations make the federal government appear to be a pretty good custodian. The words Enron or Boeing come to mind, amongst others that just can’t quite show that they should be in charge of what resources that they have now, say nothing of the sacred land that Nevada has, until now, public land has been available to all, including the unborn generations to come.
When I saw that O’Connor mentioned beautiful green farmlands, ranches and family communities, that is when light bulbs started flashing.
There is one major hurdle that should be solved prior to, not after, these rapid developments and hand-overs commence.
Availability of water. From what I’ve read in this newspaper, there is an impending water shortage that will not support the farmland that is already developed. Nevada is not the only state where the future of an ample water supply is in peril.
I understand that the federal government is actually buying existing water rights from ranchers and others, in order to sustain an uninterrupted supply for existing farming and community development. I’m all for lessening the housing shortage, however, these developed parcels will have residents that need water.
There are few options that I know of to mitigate this problem. It almost amazes me, that while everyone seems to acknowledge that we don’t have an infinite supply of fresh water, housing development still continues at a brisk pace in the rural & urban communities alike.
As a property owner that has a well as my only source of water, I appreciate every glass of water that I drink and all of the other uses that it has bestowed me in the 45 years that I’ve called Nevada home.
Dale Taliaferro
Winnemucca