On Saturday about a dozen people gathered on a blustery but clear morning at the Sandy’s Canyon Trailhead southeast of Flagstaff.
The hike along a portion of the Arizona National Scenic Trail was a celebration of Arizona Public Lands Day, and was meant to bring attention to the benefits federal land provides local residents and the state economy.
A new report by the Arizona Wildlife Federation, Arizona Trail Association and the Nature Conservancy shows federal management of public lands brings significant economic benefits to Arizona.
It comes as some lawmakers want to transfer those lands to state control.
Arizona Wildlife Federation Conservation and Advocacy Director Michael Cravens was among those setting out on the hike.
He says areas like Sandy’s Canyon would be threatened under state control.
“Right now, everyone listening here owns these lands. If they were transferred to the state, they would become de facto private lands, private lands owned by the state,” Cravens says. “Public lands add value to basically every American's life.”
According to the report, transferring federal lands to Arizona would increase the state’s expenses by about $800 million, while the state economy would take a $1 billion hit.
Federal public lands currently contribute more than $5 billion annually to Arizona’s economy, the report says.
The report also shows if the state had to bear the full price tag of responding to and mitigating wildfires on federal land it would cost the state an additional $645 million a year.
Cravens says he’s especially worried about a plan to move the U. S. Forest Service headquarters to Utah where state and federal lawmakers along with local officials have supported efforts to sell federal lands and have opposed national monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.
