In this episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, combat veteran and guide Braxton McCoy discusses current efforts to sell millions of acres of U.S. public lands. McCoy examines the history of American public lands and explains how they were acquired through various means, from purchases to treaties. He explores Senator Mike Lee's push to transfer or sell these lands, which is presented as a solution for national debt and housing affordability.
The discussion covers the potential consequences of privatizing public lands, including impacts on wildlife migration corridors and recreational access. McCoy and Ryan investigate the financial interests behind land sale initiatives, including corporate involvement and political donations. The conversation also touches on advocacy efforts to preserve public lands, with McCoy sharing insights from his work since 2016 to protect areas like the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
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Braxton McCoy explores how American public lands were acquired through various means including conquests, wars, treaties, and purchases. He explains that after the Revolution, federal control of western lands was established to prevent state monopolization. Notable acquisitions like the Louisiana Purchase and territories gained through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo expanded these holdings significantly.
McCoy discusses how Teddy Roosevelt viewed public lands as a national birthright requiring protection for future generations. This vision was later formalized in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, which established guidelines for multiple land uses.
Shawn Ryan discusses Senator Mike Lee's efforts to transfer or sell millions of acres of public land, ostensibly to reduce national debt and enable affordable housing development. McCoy expresses skepticism about these stated goals, noting that the specifics of targeted lands keep changing. He warns that transferring lands to state control could lead to privatization, as states are constitutionally required to maximize revenue.
McCoy emphasizes the critical role of public lands in supporting wildlife, particularly as winter range and migration corridors for species like mule deer. He points to Wyoming's successful efforts to protect migration routes and warns that selling these lands could lead to species extinction in the American West.
The discussion also highlights how privatization would eliminate low-cost recreational opportunities for the public, from hunting and fishing to stargazing in some of the least light-polluted areas in America.
Ryan and McCoy explore the financial interests driving public land sales, including potential profits for companies like BlackRock and Blackstone. McCoy points out that Senator Lee's donors include organizations with vested interests in land development. The conversation reveals how dark money influences land sale advocacy through organizations like the American Path Initiative, which doesn't have to disclose its donors.
McCoy, a combat veteran and guide, has been advocating since 2016 to preserve public lands, particularly the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. He's joined by influential figures like Cameron Haynes, Joe Rogan, and Senator Tim Sheehy in opposing land sales. Despite facing online harassment and pressure to cancel interviews, McCoy continues his work, noting that up to 80 percent of Americans oppose public land sales.
1-Page Summary
Braxton McCoy delves into the foundational elements of American public lands—from the times of early conquest and acquisitions to the era of preservation symbolized by the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt.
McCoy establishes that the US public lands have historically been secured through various means such as conquests, wars, treaties, and purchases, each shaping the identity and extent of the nation’s geography and heritage.
He explains that during the era of the Articles of Confederation, some states, including Georgia and Virginia, claimed vast lands that would have marginalized other states. To avoid such disparities, a resolution led to the establishment of state borders, beyond which unclaimed lands were ceded to federal governance. This move was intended to prevent state monopolization and instead place the lands under a public trust.
Significant land acquisitions helped expand US territory. McCoy touches upon the Louisiana Purchase, where the US paid $15 million to France, and territories gained from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Additionally, he addresses land acquisitions along the 49th parallel from the British, and regions previously controlled by Spain and Mexico, often as results of conflicts and negotiations. These expansive territories, McCoy notes, were sometimes used to compensate soldiers, with land allotments serving as a form of payment and reflecting the nation’s growth.
History and Legal/Political Context of US Public Lands
United States politicians, including Senator Mike Lee, have made efforts to transfer or sell between two and three million acres of public land.
Shawn Ryan mentions that one of Senator Lee's goals is to reduce the national debt and enable the development of affordable housing through the sale of federal lands. However, the term "affordable housing" is seen suspiciously by critics like McCoy, who suggests that the term is being used misleadingly, implying it is about creating housing that people can afford, while expressing skepticism about whether this outcome will actually materialize.
McCoy points out that the specifics regarding the lands proposed for sale have changed numerous times, contributing to a lack of clarity and consistency in the debate. This moving of goalposts makes it difficult to argue the issue effectively.
McCoy raises the issue that transferring public lands to state control prepares them for eventual sale because states are constitutionally required to maximize revenue. This mandate could result in public lands being sold to private interests rather than being pre ...
Push to Sell Public Lands: Details and Rationales
Braxton McCoy and Shawn Ryan delve into the critical consequences of potentially selling public lands, highlighting the severe ramifications for wildlife and outdoor recreation in America.
The discussion begins with the significant role of public lands in supporting wildlife, particularly in the western United States.
Shawn Ryan points out that public lands are vital as they serve as essential winter range and irreplaceable migration corridors for migratory mule deer. Braxton McCoy emphasizes the importance of the land around Yellowstone National Park, which includes critical winter range that supports various species.
He discusses how Wyoming has actively worked to protect mule deer by acquiring private lands used as migratory routes. The state's efforts, which included the removal of fences, have had a positive impact on the mule deer population, emphasizing the importance of protecting these corridors.
McCoy warns that selling off lands essential for winter range would have a severe impact on the survival of animal species within the larger Yellowstone ecosystem, which spans an area as big as Ohio. With already declining mule deer populations across the west, the loss of public land threatens to further disrupt migration and wintering habits, potentially leading to the extinction of certain species. McCoy highlights the moral gravity of such an outcome, likening the extinction of a species to a sin.
The loss of public lands also has a direct impact on Americans' ability to engage in outdoor recreation.
Impacts and Consequences Of Selling Public Lands
The conversation investigates the potential financial interests and motivations behind the push to sell public lands, raising concerns about the influence of wealthy developers, investors, and dark money in politics on such initiatives.
During the conversation, Shawn Ryan and Braxton McCoy delve into the question of who stands to gain from the sale of public lands, hinting at the roles of influential developers and investors.
Discussion reveals that companies like BlackRock could be looking to profit from buying neighborhoods, which underscores the financial motives behind public land sales. Braxton McCoy particularly pointed out organizations such as Club for Growth, Microsoft, and Blackstone among Senator Mike Lee's donors. He suggested these donors, and notably Blackstone with its private equity investments, might have vested financial interests in the deregulation and sale of public lands. McCoy also noted Utah's high ranking in private equity investment in single-family homes, implying that such private equity firms could be motivated to purchase public lands should they become available for private development.
The discussion goes further into the realm of dark money and undisclosed political influence, particularly through organizations that do not have to disclose ...
Motivations and Financial Interests Behind Land Sale Efforts
In the fight to prevent the sale of public lands, veterans, hunters, and anglers are aligning to oppose such plans, exemplified by Braxton McCoy's advocacy work. Advocates like McCoy face significant challenges, including online harassment and allegations of bribery, as they work to preserve these lands for future generations.
Activists and public figures are rallying together to protect public land from being sold, with Braxton McCoy standing out as a prominent voice in this effort.
Shawn Ryan introduces Braxton McCoy, a combat veteran and guide who has been vocal since 2016 about preserving public lands, such as the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. McCoy, raised using these lands for outdoor activities, advocates for not losing a single acre to privatization. He presents his stance patriotically, suggesting that the lands bought with blood should not be sold off. McCoy disapproves of conflating military bases and Indian reservations with public land, cautioning against changes to public land designations. He emphasizes that public access to lands, such as the "corner crossing fight," is essential and that many Americans, by a majority of up to 80 percent, are opposed to the sale of public lands.
McCoy is not alone in his efforts; influential figures like Cameron Haynes, MeatEater, Jocko Willink, Joe Rogan, and Senator Tim Sheehy have joined the cause, drawing attention to the issue and opposing land sales. Shawn Ryan himself was prompted to engage with the topic after seeing tweets from these individuals.
Advocacy work is not without its risks, as evidenced by the harassment and intimidation tactics used against activists like McCoy.
Despite his dedication to preserving public lands, McCoy has faced opposition, including allegations of bribery and pressure to ...
Advocacy and Organizing to Prevent Public Land Sales
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