There is a lot of resentment against the Feds in the Wild West. The government owns lots of open land, and ranchers have been using it for free or almost nothing for generations. Same thing with cheap leases on many beautiful vacation sites here in California. Now there is pressure to require payment for use of taxpayer-owned resources, and ranchers are up in arms - literally.

I think the rest of the country think it's just and fair for ranchers and oil companies and cottage owners and others to be required to pay to use public lands for profit.

The Ken Burns series on the National Parks told the interesting story of the local fight against Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, public land that had been used for generations for grazing.

-Joe-