ABOUT
America’s Public Land is a group of concerned citizens raising awareness about the critical threats facing our shared public lands from individuals who want to transfer them into state ownership, making them vulnerable to being sold into private hands, which would restrict access to all of us who enjoy these lands and want future generations to continue to do the same.
Walt Dabney
Walt Dabney is a retired park professional with a 43-year career spanning both the National Park Service (NPS) and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
A Texas A&M graduate, he began as a ranger-naturalist in Yellowstone and went on to serve in key leadership roles across iconic parks including Yosemite, Grand Teton, Everglades, and as Chief Ranger of the NPS in Washington, D.C. He later led the Southeast Utah Group of parks and served as Director of Texas State Parks.
Known for his expertise in law enforcement, search and rescue, fire management, and public land policy, Dabney now teaches at leadership institutes and universities and frequently speaks on the history of America’s public lands.
Carey Dabney
Carey Dabney’s passion for public lands began on childhood road trips out West and led her to earn a degree in anthropology and geology from the University of Illinois. She went on to serve as a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
In 2020, Carey led the League of Women Voters’ in-depth study of Utah’s House Bill 148, which sought to transfer nearly 30 million acres of federal land to the state. The report examined the legal, economic, and social impacts of such efforts and helped shape public policy.
She also works with America’s Public Land, curating research on the Antiquities Act, land transfers, and public land sell-offs. Her work highlights the vital economic role public lands play in recreation, tourism, and gateway communities—and reflects her lifelong commitment to protecting them.
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