It seems rare nowadays to find public land that actually provides substantial benefits to a large number of the public.  Oftentimes it appears that access to public land continues to be constrained, and with a changing political climate, public land often appears to provied direct benefits to fewer and fewer people. 

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania is bucking the trend.  The county recently opened its Trexler Nature Preserve to bowhunting for deer, and is now planning on stocking a large portion of Jordan Creek, which runs through the preserve, and improving fishing access to the creek.  

Hopefully the expansion of hunting and fishing on Lehigh County lands will set an example that other public land managers will strive to follow.

Read the story here     

The concept of land ownership tends to vary widely from East to West in the United States.  In my personal experience, it appears that private land in the western United States is much more coveted by landowners, who often have serious problems with someone even stepping on their land.  Such a pattern is also evident when comparing urban to rural areas, with access more likely to be prohibited in urban locations.  Our great nation was built upon the successful concept of private property rights, and I believe that they should be respected whenever possible. 

However, property rights can often affect where and how we fish, and can therefore cause conflict between anglers and landowners.  In the northeastern U.S., particularly in states like Maine (although I’m not sure there’s another state quite like it!), a time honored tradition of public access to private land has been the norm for over a hundred years.  Hunters, fishermen and trappers alike have benefitted greatly from this partnership with private landowners, and we’ve often taken for granted the fact that such access has always been available.

But good things don’t always last, and the times are changing.  A recent article in a New York newspaper reports that Orleans County has purchased a 3 year lease agreement to open 4,000 feet of river along Oak Orchard Creek, a popular trout and salmon fishery.  The agreement will cost the County $22,500. 

In the short term, the deal sounds like a great one for anglers.  But in the big picture, might we be walking down a dangerous trail and setting a precedent for pay-to-access fishing across the Northeast?  

Only time will tell, but for now we should certainly enjoy the vast tracts of hunting and fishing land that we’re so lucky to have free roam upon.