The enabling legislation should address that issue completely. But as I read his post, he appears to be one of those people that want to enjoy the “pristine land that no man has entered upon,” so he's just a elitist who doesn't want “his private preserve” opened to others. The fact is that the states with little or no Federal land ownership have manage to “preserve” the naturally beautiful places in their states, so it all hinges on state leadership. Beyond that, with all these federal “set asides,” we have seen areas that have minerals and petroleum that we need going forward. We are well beyond the point where businesses can get away with being land rapists, and again proper legislation at both the state and federal level should safeguard the environment.
I completely agree with you, I was just speculating on his reasoning. I want all of Nevada returned to the state and opened up to mining and hunting, horse back riding, hiking, etc.
It’s a fine line. We have people fighting Comstock Mining now who have discovered a rich vein in Virginia City because they don’t want mining to destroy the land. Virginia City, for those who don’t know, is riddled with mines, tunnels under every inch of it and rusted mining equipment all over.
Comstock does a great job of restoring the land, it’s the enviromentalists who somehow think now that Virginia City should become pristine, back to nature. They overlook the fact that tourists come from all over to see Virginia City and love seeing a working mine along with it.