Important cultural distinctions exist between public, private lands

Over 80 percent of Nevada is federally claimed land. Only 0.3 percent of Iowa is controlled by the federal government. When someone lives in an area where almost every inch of land is private property, it is difficult to understand what this distinction means. People east of Nebraska tend to see federal control in the positive sense of national parks, wildlife protection or needed national infrastructure. They also tend to describe these lands as if they were no different from private property. Terms such as “government land,” “federal property,” or words suggesting that the federal government “owns” the land are common. These terms are historically and culturally incorrect.