‘Proud public landowner’ Walt Dabney to give talk celebrating public lands

Like millions of other Americans, Walt Dabney considers himself a “proud public landowner.”

About seven years ago, the former National Park Service ranger put together a program that celebrates public lands and talks about the history of their creation.

He is making a swing through Montana this month and will give the talk entitled "Our Public Lands - Their History and Future" on Tuesday, July 9 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish.

Dabney grew up in Texas. While it may be one of the largest states in the union, it has a dearth of public land.

“Texas has almost no public land,” he said.

Step off the sidewalk or the street and odds are you’re onto private property.

So when Dabney hears calls for selling off federal lands or returning them to the states, he gets concerned.

Having said that, he said his talk is educational and historical and not political.

“This is not a political piece, it’s pure history and facts,” he said.

Dabney is no stranger to public lands public lands management.

Dabney graduated from Texas A&M in 1969 with a degree in recreation and park management. He began his career with the National Park Service the summer of 1969 as a student trainee at Old Faithful District of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

He worked his way through the ranks of the National Park Service, including rangering in Yosemite, Mount Rainier and Grand Teton. He also worked in the Everglades, Alaska and Washington, D.C. and in 1991 Dabney was selected as the general superintendent for the Southeast Utah Group of parks which included Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep National Monuments.

Dabney began his permanent career with Texas Parks and Wildlife as the Director of State Parks in 1999 after having spent 30 years with the National Park Service. He helped bring significant organizational changes to the agency. After 43 years of park work, he retired in 2010.

He’s been touring the U.S. giving his talk on public lands for several years. He decided to come to the Flathead to visit some old friends and former co-workers Fred Vanhorn and Robin Lange.

His talk is free and open to the public.