Brushy Bill Roberts:

The Man Who Claimed To Be Billy The Kid

By Katie Serena | Checked By John Kuroski

Published December 25, 2018

Updated December 2, 2021

Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid died in 1881 — or did he escape, vanish, and live on under the name Brushy Bill Roberts in Texas all the way until 1950?

In the late 1800s, the American Wild West was home to outlaws and bandits, many fearsome enough to be known across several territories. And among the most widely-known of all those bandits was Billy the Kid.

Billy the Kid (a nickname for a man born Henry McCarty and later known as William H. Bonney) was an outlaw who lived a short but tumultuous life. As a mere teenager, Billy the Kid fought a war over control of the New Mexico Territory during which he killed three people, then fled to the Arizona Territory as a fugitive and claimed responsibility for a further five murders. Read more

 

What Makes a New York City Kid?

To answer that question, The Times interviewed groups of young New Yorkers. About a dozen of them agreed to document their daily lives by making videos on their ubiquitous smartphones. Others tolerated us while we shadowed them and asked annoying questions. Here’s what they gave us.

BY ANDY NEWMAN Oct. 21, 2016

READ MORE . . . 

MY REACTION TO THE FIVE STAGES OF PARKINSON’S

I realize that Parkinson’s disease impacts people in different and unique ways, and not everyone will experience all the symptoms of Parkinson’s. If they do, they will not necessarily experience them in quite the same order or at the same intensity. I also recognize that there are typical patterns of progression in Parkinson’s disease that are defined within five stages. I am amazed by how long I lived with stage one, how many years it took to develop into stage two and how quickly it advanced to stage three . . . I believe that the symptoms indicating a faster progression of change began in 2015 and lasted through early 2020, when the freezing of gate first appeared.

The change from two to three was even more rapid in that within a few months I had ‘progressed’ a stage. My current neurologist puts me at mid-stage, which I might agree with to some extent. I would guess, based on the descriptions of each of the five stages, is that I am at a late stage two or early stage three. I have had to re-learn how to do things that previously were natural, subconscious actions. For example, walking now involves an awareness of my surroundings and requires a thoughtful effort before taking the first step.

I cherish my independence so I absolutely refuse to let PD own me and I will fight this beast with every ounce of my being. I have read that it is possible, with the right medical guidance, exercise, and changes in lifestyle, to drop back a stage.

That is my ultimate goal.

HAND

a film by Brett Harvey

If you've ever wondered about what it means . . . what it is like to have Parkinson's Disease, here is an absolutely outstanding film that describes the physical and emotional effects of PD.

"I was asked recently if Parkinson's ruined my life . . . it hasn't. It hasn't ruined my life. i guess its just changed it a bit. I still feel like the same person and for now, I'll take that as a win." - film maker Brett Harvey

 

MY LIFE WITH PARKINSON'S

As April is Parkinson's Awareness Month, I felt it was an appropriate time to "come out" so to speak and write about my life so far as a "Parkie".

Overview

Realizing that Parkinson’s disease is first and foremost a movement disorder there are, however, so many complexities involved that it goes way beyond such a simple description, to the point that its many symptoms is often classified as a “designer disease”. There are an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. living with Parkinson’s disease and more than 8 million people worldwide. The average age of those diagnosed with PD is 60. I was 62 however and evidently have had symptoms since my late 40’s. Symptoms which I just recently recognize as having been red flag indicators that I had foolishly written off as a function of age.

There is no single test or scan for Parkinson’s, but there are three significant symptoms that help doctors make a diagnosis:

1. Bradykinesia - meaning slowness of movement. It is one of the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson’s. (Bradykinesia plus either tremor or rigidity must be present for a PD diagnosis to be considered).
2. Tremor - Characteristically occurring at rest, the classic slow, rhythmic tremor of Parkinson’s disease typically starts in one hand, foot, or leg and eventually affects both sides of the body.
3. Rigidity - refers to a tightness or stiffness of the limbs or torso.

My tremors were first noticed in my early fifties when the twitching started with my left-hand thumb and index finger. They have progressed within the last two years to the right hand and leg. It is troublesome when using a computer mouse or when drinking a cup of coffee becomes challenging. Eating with a fork is quite an event as well. Sometimes it is difficult keeping the food where it needs to be. Too often some of my meal ends up either in my lap or on the floor . . . it’s a good thing we have a dog.

Late 2019 was the point in time when my Parkinson’s disease notably revealed itself. Up to that point, there were a few indications which only now have I come to recognize were red warning flags of PD. Parkinson’s disease is called a designer disease primarily because no two ‘parkies’ share the same symptoms. Ever the overachiever, I have so many of them, not all of which are typical, but I do have all three of the cardinal indicators of PD!

Resting Tremors: For many years, my left thumb and index finger would twitch. I was mistakenly told by several doctors not to worry about it as essential tremors are not unusual. This was without any actual type of clinical assessment being performed or medication prescribed. It was not until, during a routine physical, our family primary care physician questioned the twitching, conducted a couple of clinical tests and recommended that I see a neurologist. The rest, as they say, is history.

Bradykinesia: the saying is that hindsight is 20/20 and I only now have I been able to recognize the subtle hints of the earliest manifestation of the disease.

For many years I had been a wildland firefighter. Each year I was required by the forest service to take a “pack test” which consisted of walking three miles in forty-five minutes carrying a forty-five-pound pack. I knew my walking pace was slowing down after just barely passing my very last one. My 2015 test came in at forty-four minutes-forty-five seconds. Prior to that my test times were for many years, usually much closer to 40 minutes. I recall during this test a forest patrolman gave me some on-the-fly coaching which, in hindsight, was revealing . . . telling me as I passed through the check-point he was monitoring to “Swing your arms. You’re not auditioning for the walking dead!”. What I do know now is that lack of arm swing is a PD indicator and there was and is a definite reduction in my right arm swing. I feel as if my arms and legs are weaker and that there is considerable pain when I try to perform what had always been a routine task . . . something as simple as putting on a pair of jeans or sneakers. I also no longer have the typical “New Yorker’s stride”. My walking pace has slowed considerably, especially when I am not moving on a flat, level surface.

 

Rigidity: during my college years I played middle infield and was known to have what was commonly referred to as a “shotgun arm” (In baseball jargon, “shotgun” refers to a powerful throwing arm). Several years ago, I discovered that I was no longer able to throw a baseball with the same velocity or coming anywhere close to the distance I was used to. Granted, my age would probably account for some reduction in speed and distance, however the difference was obvious. Rigidity, especially in the early, undetected stages of the disease, was incorrectly attributed to a rotator cuff injury when the issue was actually determined to be what is known as “frozen shoulder” (a common musculoskeletal disease of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease that causes long-term pain and physical disability). Physical therapy was prescribed with zero benefit. Currently I experience stiffness including both muscle and joint pain throughout much of my body. It is particularly noticeable in my legs, right arm, fingers, and hands – all of which no longer seem to work properly. The pain and stiffness associated with my Parkinson’s was affecting muscles and joints, which were in the absence of any real physical injury.

Movement Disorders

The issues I have in controlling what had always been normal, unconscious movements are as troublesome as they are inconvenient. I regularly encounter the following:

o  Smaller steps, slower speed.

o  A narrow base of support, meaning my feet remain too close together when initiating a step.

o  Absent arm swing on the right side of my body.

o  Extreme difficulty pivoting and/or turning.

o My feet tend to land flat on the floor with each step instead of on the heel, leading to shuffling and falls.

o  Festination or shuffling - quick, small, involuntary steps forward.

o Retropulsion - quick, small, involuntary steps backward – usually only when exiting our personal vehicle.

 

Freezing of Gait: This was the issue that prompted an appointment with a neurologist. The temporary, inability to move, seems to happen at any time, though it tends more often to occur when initiating a step, turning and navigating through doorways or narrow passageways. I fully agree with what has often been described as feeling as though one’s feet are glued to the floor. It can be particularly embarrassing in a public situation but has the potential to be a more serious problem, as it has resulted in numerous incidents of falling. It feels as if my body is not obeying my brain's commands which I find it to be extremely frustrating.

 

Dystonia of the foot: Dystonia is a symptom of Parkinson's disease which is also a movement disorder on its own, marking painful, prolonged muscle contractions causing abnormal movements and postures. Experts estimate that more than 30 percent of people living with Parkinson's disease may experience dystonia as a symptom or as a complication of treatment (dystonia can occur when medication is wearing off). In my case, a painful cramped foot is the telltale sign of dystonia. My right foot feels fine when sitting but develops foot inversion (turning in of the foot or ankle) when trying to walk or stand. Small steps and twisting makes initiating a step awkward and results in “start hesitation”.

Non-Motor Symptoms

“Although Parkinson’s disease is primarily considered a motor disorder, several studies have shown non-motor symptoms are common across all stages of the disease, however, these symptoms are often undiagnosed because patients are unaware of the link to the disease and, as a result, they may be under-treated.”

Sleep disturbance: Insomnia - I generally have no problem falling asleep. The difficulty in my case is remaining asleep. I only average 6.25 hours per night. 20mg of melatonin helps to occasionally achieve an additional hour or two. I do not suffer from rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder or restless leg syndrome . . . two sleep disorders that can affect those with PD.

Breathing Issues: Although James Parkinson, in 1817, described breathing abnormalities in his “Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, there has been limited research on this important non-motor symptom. I have had shortness of breath since late 2016. I’ve taken numerous tests - chest x-rays, echocardiogram, spirometry, and of course every allergy test known to modern medicine, all of which came back with the same result: negative pathology. I was initially diagnosed with asthma, but the allergy specialist is now 99.9% certain my breathing disorder is a result of PD.

An interesting read for an issue that affects me and many others with PD: http://www.outthinkingparkinsons.com/articles/breathing-disorders

Vocal chords and swallowing muscles: PD dystonia causes my voice to slur, and at times sound softened, hoarse or breathy during certain parts of the day or in high stress situations. Originally, I thought that my hoarseness was due to extremely low humidity . . . until I was diagnosed with PD.

Effects on Vision. I have had a variety of complaints related to my vision such as trouble focusing at close range, but more frequently dry, irritated eyes which is followed by extreme tearing. People with Parkinson's can experience this for several reasons, including decreased blinking due to impaired reflexes. Infrequent blinking can cause dry eyes which stimulates the lacrimal (tear) gland resulting in excessive watering.

More: https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/ask-md-vision-and-parkinsons-disease

Micrographia (small handwriting): A non-motor symptom. Within the past two years, I have noticed that my handwriting has become exceptionally small and illegible. Actual note taking with a pen or pencil is now practically useless and my signature has gone from normal to what has become basically just a squiggly line. I am sure that the nuns who taught me cursive writing would be apoplectic. 

Stress, Depression and the Effects of Cognitive Changes Fortunately, I am still unaffected by depression or cognitive changes. My neurologist believes that I am not really a candidate for Parkinson’s dementia . . . although I have no clue as to what he uses to base that opinion.

Stress is known to be a challenging, but modifiable risk factor for Parkinson’s disease progression. Research suggests that stress events may be a factor which aggravates and intensifies the symptoms of PD. Studies indicate that stress damages dopamine cells, resulting in more severe parkinsonian symptoms. The findings suggest that programs that provide stress reduction tactics may be an effective intervention in the disease.

At this point I have no clinical signs of depression although I admit to having been very frustrated on occasion by my inability to do those things I had been able to do for the prior 60 plus years, albeit briefly. I do remain positive about where I am in life, regardless of the situation. As Winston Churchill said “attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Fortunately, I am to married to a true angel who has been my caregiver and has provided such tremendous, loving support.

Thankfully, at this stage of the game I have no cognitive issues other than occasionally trying to remember a name of a casual acquaintance or fumbling a bit to find just the right word. Every evening I will do word puzzles which I believe help me to remain relatively sharp and for most of my life I have been a voracious reader. In addition, I am also involved with a computer simulation that requires highly complex mathematical calculations.

The Five Stages Of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease impacts people in different and unique ways. Not everyone will experience all the symptoms of Parkinson’s, and if they do, they will not necessarily experience them in quite the same order or at the same intensity. There are typical patterns of progression in Parkinson’s disease that are defined in stages. I am amazed by how long I lived with stage one and how many years it took to develop into stage two and how quickly it advanced to stage three . . . I believe that the symptoms indicating a faster progression of change began in 2015 and lasted through early 2020, when the freezing of gate was first apparent.

The change from two to three was even more rapid in that within a few months I had seemingly ‘progressed’ a stage. My neurologist puts me at mid-stage, which I might agree with to some extent. My guess, based on the descriptions of each of the five stages, is that I am at a late stage two or early stage three. I have read that it is possible, with the right guidance, exercise and changes in lifestyle, to drop back a stage. That is my ultimate goal.

Stage One During this initial stage, the person has mild symptoms that generally do not interfere with daily activities. Tremor and other movement symptoms occur on one side of the body only. Changes in posture, walking and facial expressions occur. Stage 1 constitutes the mildest form of Parkinson’s disease. During the stage 1, the patients may experience symptoms, but the mild ones and do not interrupt daily tasks or one’s lifestyle. In fact, symptoms during the first stage are so mild that both doctors and patients often missed. However, the family members and the friends may observe changes in the way you walk, your body posture or your facial expressions. Tremors at a specific side of one’s body are the distinct symptom associated with stage 1 of Parkinson’s disease. In this case, the doctors give prescribed medicines, which work in an effective way to reduce the symptoms and allow individuals to lead a normal life.

Stage Two Symptoms start getting worse. Tremor, rigidity and other movement symptoms affect both sides of the body. Walking problems and poor posture may be apparent. The person is still able to live alone, but daily tasks are more difficult and lengthier. Stage 2 implies the Parkinson’s disease in its moderate form, and it has relatively higher noticeable symptoms than the ones take place in the previous stage. This means, tremors, stiffness and trembling problems become noticeable and changes in various facial expressions take place. While stiffness of muscles prolongs the completion of any task, stage 2 never causes balance impairment. Instead, the patients may deal with increased walking difficulties and witness changes in their postures. During stage 2 people feel symptoms of speech difficulties to some extent.

Stage Three Considered mid-stage, loss of balance and slowness of movements are hallmarks. Falls are more common. The person is still fully independent, but symptoms significantly impair activities such as dressing and eating. Stage 3 indicates middle stage of the Parkinson’s disease, as it indicates a big turning point associated with progress of the disease. Despite, the symptoms in both stage 2 and stage 3 are more or less same; but in your third stage, you may likely experience reduced reflexes and loss of your physical balance. Overall, your body movements become slow. Because of this, the problem in its third stage affects people significantly, but still allows them to complete their daily tasks.

Stage Four At this point, symptoms are severe and limiting. It’s possible to stand without assistance, but movement may require a walker. The person needs help with activities of daily living and is unable to live alone. Independence of people separates when they enter to the stage 4 from the previous stage 3 of Parkinson’s disease. Although, a person in stage 4 of Parkinson’s disease may stand easily without any help; he requires assistive devices, especially a walker to go with physical movements without facing any difficulty. Most of the people will not be able to live their lives alone during stage 4 of the Parkinson’s disease, as they deal with significant decrease in the physical movements and reaction times. According to doctors, keeping alone the patients of stage 4 Parkinson’s disease may not perform their day-to-day tasks.

Stage Five This is the most advanced and debilitating stage. Stiffness in the legs may make it impossible to stand or walk. The person requires a wheelchair or is bedridden. Around the clock nursing care is generally required. The person may experience hallucinations and delusions. 

 

 

 

 

2018 - 2020 Changes in my world

Wow . . . two years since my last blog post. Time sure does fly. No excuses actually, I was just pretty well wrapped up in my career and other personal adventures. 

Needless to say, a tremendous amount of ‘stuff’ has obviously happened since 2018 – from a lying, narcissistic, incompetent idiot in the White House (who fortunately was told to GTFO during the November election) to the devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, a disease that has brought the world to its collective knees. Like the events of September 11th, I’m sure and I fear that life as we knew it will be dramatically changed. Hopefully, in time we will be able to recover and return to some semblance of normalcy.

And then there are the personal changes that have had a major impact on my life. I spent most of the summer on 2018 fighting massive western wildfires and then assisting in the recovery effort. 2019 was, for the most part, routine and basically uneventful. 2020 however was personally, another story.

We are currently witnessing the terrible effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and the horrible impact it has had on so many people. As of this writing over 500 thousand Americans have died. I have been fortunate in that in my position, I was considered ‘essential’ so thankfully, I remained fully employed. I’ve also practiced the necessary safeguards of mask wearing, social distancing and staying sequestered from the rest of the world which has, so far, kept me virus free.

But my health still took a major hit this year. In February of 2020, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease . . . and not just PD, an ADVANCED stage of Parkinson’s! How could this have happened? In my entire adult life, other than the occasional cold here and there, I had always been the picture of health. I was incredulous . . . until I looked back at those subtle, missed signs.

The muscle stiffness, the microscopic penmanship, and the lack of arm swing were overlooked warning signs which are also early tell-tale symptoms of PD.

The twitching finger on my left hand was probably the big one which should have raised a red flag. I ignored it but so did the many doctors who, when asked during routine physicals, wrote the issue off to ‘essential tremors’  . . . which are not uncommon. 

So there it is . . . my disability: a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease that affects millions worldwide. I can deal with the tremors and the other stuff but it is the 'freezing of gait' that is my biggest challenge. 

What exactly is Freezing of Gait (aka FOG)? Well, plain and simple it is when my brain tells my feet to go forward but my feet say "nope . . . not gonna do it" and I'm left with the sensation of my feet being glued to the floor. The problem, actually the danger, is that while my feet may not move, the rest of my body didn't get the memo and actually tries to move forward, expecting to take a step which doesn't come. This can result in a fall . . . which I have done more times than I'd like to say.

The most common forms of freezing are seen with initiating gait (start hesitation) and during turning. Freezing may also be caused by the presence of a visible obstacle in the path, a change in the pattern of design on the floor, walking in narrow spaces or crowds, or being rushed or startled

TO BE CONTINUED . . . . 

THEY CALLED HER TRIPOD – THE WOLF WITH A FIERCE GREEN FIRE

By Leo Leckie
October 23, 2018

On January 24, 2008, a little gray wolf was radio-collared as 632Fg. She was born almost four years earlier in April 2004 into the Cougar Creek Pack in the beaver-rich heartland of Yellowstone’s Madison Valley. She was the daughter of the Cougar Creek alpha pair 151Fg and 257Mg.

Her remarkable mother founded the Cougar Creek Pack in 2000 and came from the illustrious and celebrated bloodline of 7Fg and 2Mb, the founding alpha female and male of the first-ever naturally forming pack in Yellowstone National Park, the Leopolds.

The Leopold Pack is one of only three Yellowstone wolf packs named after humans – all other packs being named after a significant geographical feature within the pack’s territory. They were named after Aldo Leopold, who in the 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac” retells of his gunshot from a rim rock in Arizona that started a shift in his thinking. “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes — something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.” Aldo Leopold became an early proponent from then on of wolf restoration in the Lower 48.

That fierce green fire that changed Aldo Leopold’s life lived on in that little four-year-old gray wolf radio-collared in 2008.

You see, she was affectionately nicknamed “Tripod” because she was missing her left hind leg below the hock. This injury had occurred years earlier and she may have possibly lost it in a snare along the park boundary.

Despite falling behind at times, she was able to keep up with her Cougar Creek packmates all those years.

And then, quite remarkably, during the mating season in February 2009, Tripod joined with dispersing males from the Gibbon Meadows Pack (647Mg and his brother 687Mb) to become the founding members of the Grayling Creek Pack, occupying a new territory just north of her natal territory.

And even more remarkably, this three-legged wolf with the fierce green fire in her heart and spirit became the alpha female of the new Grayling Creek Pack and gave birth to two surviving pups in April 2009!

On November 5, 2009, she was killed by wolves from a rival pack while defending her homeland. Her alpha mate 647Mg and an uncollared adult female continued to care for her two pups.

Defying the odds and touching our hearts, her fierce green fire is a poignant reminder of the enduring spirit in wolves … a fierce green fire that will not be forgotten!

This story came together through researching the Yellowstone Wolf Family Tree. You can find out more about Tripod and the other amazing wolves of Yellowstone National Park by becoming a guest of the Yellowstone Wolf Family Tree. Visit www.wolfgenes.info, select the Ancestry tab and follow the Invitation section instructions to become a guest of the tree.

(Photo from the Yellowstone Wolf Family Tree / NPS and taken during radio-collaring in 2008 -- note the human hand showing the missing leg.)

The Gray Wolf: Myth vs. Fact

Myth: Wolves are extremely dangerous to human beings.

Fact: According to Yellowstone wolf biologist Doug Smith, the danger to humans from wolves is vastly overestimated. Smith said that, whereas a bear or a mountain lion will attack a human on first contact, wolves are naturally fearful of humans and pose very little danger unless they are conditioned to overcome this natural fear.

Myth: Wolves kill livestock “for the fun of it.”

Fact: According to Smith, the large majority of wolf hunts are unsuccessful, and because they take large prey, such as elk, deer and moose, they are risking their lives with each attempt. Smith said many wolves are seriously injured or killed in their attempts to bring down large prey.

Myth: Wolves kill large numbers of cattle and sheep.

Fact: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 6 million head of cattle live in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the three states where the majority of wolves in the West live. For those states in 2014, wolves killed 136 head of cattle, or 1 cow out of every 44,853. In the same three states, where 820,000 sheep live, reports show wolves killed 114 sheep, or 1 in every 7,193, in 2014. However, because these losses are unevenly distributed, they can take a toll on a single producer.

Myth: The wolves that were reintroduced to Yellowstone and central Idaho in the mid 1990s were non-native Canadian wolves.

Fact: While some of the wolves released into Yellowstone and central Idaho did originate in Canada, the wolves that historically ranged much of North America are of the same species, Canis lupus, as “Canadian” wolves.

Myth: Reintroduced wolves are killing all the elk and deer.

Fact: In Montana, one of the largest wolf recovery areas in the nation, the elk population, while variable, has, on the average, held steady through the 20 years since reintroduction. And while some elk herds in Wyoming have experienced decline, the reintroduction of wolves is likely only part of the reason. A three-year study conducted by the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming, which concluded in 2013, found evidence that the Wyoming elk decline was based on a complex set of variables, including habitat, weather, hunting, bears and wolves.

An Experiment in Privatizing
Public Land Fails After 14 Years

High Country News by Tom Ribe Published Feb 15, 2105

It is no secret that some state legislators in the West want to boot federal land management agencies from their states. They argue that agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service cost too much and are too detached from local values, and that states could make money by running our vast open spaces like a privately owned business.

The Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think tank, is of that opinion and has developed models to replace federal agencies with private interests. What many people don’t know is that Congress implemented one of the Cato Institute’s ideas in 2000, on the 89,000-acre Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico. For some critics of the federal government, this was the experiment in land management that would signal the end of the BLM and Forest Service in the West.

The Cato experiment in New Mexico, however, failed, chewed up by the friction between monetizing the “services” that landscapes provide — recreation, timber, grass, wildlife — and fulfilling citizens’ expectations for public access and protecting natural resources. For example, New Mexicans had very little tolerance for paying high fees to visit public property that had already been paid for using federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars.

The Valles Caldera experiment began after a Texas oil family expressed interest in selling its large property atop a dormant volcano near Santa Fe. A reluctant Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., agreed to federal ownership, but only if the property was not managed by traditional federal agencies. The Valles Caldera Preservation Act, which was passed in 2000, was designed to create an alternative model of management.

Under this act, the Valles Caldera National Preserve was managed by a “Trust” and mandated to become “financially self-sufficient” by 2015. The Trust was authorized to replace federal appropriations with income from recreation fees, resource extraction, and any other means that could be found. A mostly private-sector “board of trustees” made decisions and supervised the staff. 

At first, Congress instructed the Trust to pay for all wildland fire operations at the preserve out of its own budget. A later congressional amendment made firefighting once again the responsibility of the Forest Service. Soon after, two large fires burned 53,000 acres in the preserve and cost the federal government $56 million dollars in suppression costs alone.

Despite the efforts of many trustees and the staff for 14 years, the preserve never managed to earn enough money from hunting, grazing and tourism to pay even a third of its bills. Heavy logging and overgrazing had depleted forests and grasslands well before the preserve became public land. High fees and restrictions on public access kept the income from recreation low, and to a large extent, the public continued to perceive the preserve as private land. Elk hunting paid well, but the preserve broke even on cattle grazing only by charging ranchers more than seven times what other federal agencies are charging.

Privatization supporters may say that if Congress had waived all federal natural and cultural resource protection laws for the Trust — as Sen. Domenici had urged back in 2000 — the staff could have been a fraction of its size, and the Trust could have made money developing lodges and putting thousands of cattle on the high-altitude meadows without public review or bureaucratic process.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., however, refused to excuse the Trust from environmental laws. The National Environmental Policy Act, for example, requires federal agencies to study the impacts of proposed development and to consult with the public before decisions are made. Complying with these laws may be expensive, but without them, publicly owned land is public in name only.

For more than a decade, the Trust labored at becoming solvent before it admitted to Congress that it would never achieve “financial self-sufficiency.” For many critics of the experiment, the statement was a long time coming.

“We just wanted to access our preserve without all the restrictions and fees and without being called customers,” said Monique Schoustra, who works with a group called Caldera Action. 

Ultimately, many factors led New Mexico’s congressional delegation to dump the “experiment” last December and transfer the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service. What have we learned from this failure of privatization? For those who want states to take-over federal lands, there are certainly questions that must be answered first: Will states shoulder the costs of fighting large fires? Will states obey the wishes of ranchers and continue to subsidize ranching? Will states charge the public to visit once-public lands, and will states protect and restore archaeological sites, watersheds and wildlife habitat?

Then there’s the real question: How will states manage the public frustration of Westerners who live in a region where our public lands are at the heart of our cultures and economy?

Tom Ribe is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a column service of High Country News. He is a writer, fire manager and outdoor guide based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Return of the Public-Land Privatizers

Field and Stream by Hal Herring Published May 20th, 2015

Not more than a million years ago, in the spring of 2001, I wrote my first story for Field & Stream about the movement to privatize America’s public lands, chiseling the words onto an old granite slab by the light of a buffalo fat candle. 

The land grabbers seemed to have the world by the tail then. Gale Norton, a veteran of the anti-environmental law firm Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF), had been appointed the Secretary of the Interior. (James Watt, Reagan’s controversial and short-lived Interior Secretary, best remembered for his dislike of the Beach Boys, had been Norton’s boss at MSLF.) Norton’s colleague, Terry Anderson, had published his 1999 study “How and Why to Privatize Federal Lands.” Anderson had also been an advisor to George W. Bush on public lands issues, which was a bit like hiring a fox to consult on chicken coop management challenges. 

For those who had their hopes pinned on public land profiteering, 2001 was a heady, optimistic time, and much was accomplished--if not actual privatization, then at least the near-wholesale conversion of some of the West’s public lands into single-use energy fields, with exemptions from the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and from regulations meant to protect wildlife.  

The privatizers had been fairly quiet during the Clinton years, after raising a ruckus during the 1980s. The Sagebrush Rebellion burned hot and then fizzled out during the Reagan years when the leading rebels, faced with possible success in their goal of privatizing public lands in Nevada, suddenly realized that they were not the ones who would be buying or being given the lands; in fact, many of them were about to exchange self-employment based on one of the world’s cheapest grazing rates for a quick ticket to a scary job market, and a much smaller landscape on which to air their grievances against the “feds.”

The anti-public lands movement has never been about giving average American citizens more land or more access or more timber or gold or grass. From day one--as soon as the first lands were set aside—the movement has been about getting as much of the commonwealth as possible into the hands of the best connected and the most well heeled. But the land grabbers have learned a lot since the Sagebrush Rebellion and Anderson’s how-to paper on privatizing public land. It’s a high-stakes chess game now, where nobody says what they really mean, a game ruled by sleight-of-hand tactics backed with more money (some of it probably yours) https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-taxpayer-money-behind-local-control-dem... than ever before. 

The latest tactic is a smooth bit of word-jujitsu: “We would never sell your lands to the Chinese or to these software billionaires that fund our campaigns,” they assure anyone who will listen. “We just know for a fact that the states can manage these lands better than that big awful federal gubmint that we all hate so much. Now, isn’t that right?” It’s a good move, one that resonates with a lot of people who don’t have a lot of time to really think about it. So let’s take a few minutes and see how that would play out. We’ll leave out the fact that such a transfer would require a majority vote by Congress to divest the American people of their holdings once and for all (which those rascals did, just a month or so ago) and would open up a Pandora’s Box that would fundamentally change our nation. Let’s pretend that the grabbers are sincere, and really do want the land to remain in the hands of the states. What would change? Luckily for us, the National Wildlife Federation took on the task of analyzing that very question, basing the answers on current state land management. Here is a link to the report, which is illuminating. 

Among the findings: 

• In many Western states, state lands are not considered public lands at all. 

• In Colorado, 82% of existing state lands are completely off limits to hunting, fishing and camping. 

• In Idaho, recreation is allowed, with a permit, as long as it does not interfere with revenue generating activities. 

• In New Mexico, camping on state lands is allowed only with written permission from whoever is leasing them.

• Firewood cutting is prohibited in state lands in New Mexico and Montana. 

• Access to state lands in Montana, Arizona and New Mexico requires the purchase of a permit.

• Montana requires a special-use permit for trapping, or to camp for more than two nights. 

Western states have been selling their lands since they were awarded them at statehood. New Mexico has sold off 4 million of its original 13 million acres. Nevada, awarded 2.7 million acres at statehood, has 3000 acres left. Montana has sold 800,000 acres of state lands so far. Idaho has sold 1.2 million acres. Colorado has sold 1.7 million acres. Arizona has sold off 1.7 million acres. 

The report also compares the current management of federal public lands with the management that can be expected if the lands were under state control. And when you read it, you will see that the difference is very similar to the difference between being a citizen and being a subject (with a nod to Machiavelli, who allegedly uttered the truism that the armed man is a citizen and an unarmed man is a subject). 

Right now, we Americans own one of the most valuable assets on the planet. We are free to argue about their management, while we luxuriate in freedoms that most people on the planet can only dream of. In my 2001 Field & Stream story,  I wrote this, about the conflict over public lands management: “As when toys are taken away from children who won’t stop fighting over them, there are plans afoot to solve the conflict over the public lands by simply getting rid of them.” 

The debate today sounds just like it did back then, only much louder, and more the sound of a flood building upstream in a canyon. But the more things change--we’ve added 34 million people to the U.S. population since I wrote that story--the more they stay the same. Right? 

Wrong. When citizens forget what it is they fight for, things do change. They change big time, and for the worse. Transfer of America’s public lands to state control will be awful for hunting and fishing and access, not to mention the end of federal water and grazing rights for Western farmers and ranchers. It will be the short prelude to privatization. And that, my fellow American outdoorsmen and women, is the ultimate goal of some very unpleasant characters in our world today. That much has not changed since the very first day President Benjamin Harrison set aside the first forest reserve in 1892.