Here’s a news release from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers on the corner-crossing case. This is not an issue in the Southeast, but out West, where much of the land is fenced, it’s a big deal. The question is, when public land and private land meet in a checkerboard pattern, are you trespassing when you cross from one piece of public land to another? (The illustration in the link below makes this easier to visualize.)
The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, so the lower court decision holds, and the answer is no, you are not trespassing.
The Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is a non-profit group whose issue is protecting access to public land. Again, here in the Southeast, this is not much of an issue. But out West, there is a continued clamor to take public land and essentially give it to politically connected ranchers. And, trust me, if they win out West, it will quickly become an issue back East. So far, the Backcountry people are doing a great job for all of us. I like this group, in part because they have a much younger demographic than most conservation groups. If you look at the publications of most of the conservation organizations, you see pages full of geezers. All power to them, but if we can’t get the younger people to care, it doesn’t matter what we older people do. In contrast, the Backcountry magazine is full of photos of young people who like to hike, hunt, and fish. And they are very sophisticated politically, as their record of winning shows.