Debunking Creation Myths about America's Public Lands

In recent times several “creation myths” have gained currency about how the United States government came to own and manage—for broad, mostly protective purposes—nearly one-third of the nation’s land. Controversies such as President Trump’s shrinking the boundaries of Grand Staircase–Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments and the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon by a ragtag militia group protesting U.S. ownership have brought these myths to the forefront...