For over 200 years the US has been trying to figure out what to do with its public lands.  From surveys to sales, grazing to natural gas development, national seashores to national parks, the US has had a very complicated history of land use. To this day, it seems everyone wants a piece of it. Join Jeff Kitchens, historian and Bend resident, as he shares the story of America's relationship to its public lands.   

Jeff Kitchens has worked in public land management for over 25 years. His varied career has taken him through the Southeast, Midwest, and various western states including Oregon, Montana, Nevada, and Colorado. Jeff has worked in wildland fire management, forestry, lands and surveying, mining, cultural resources, and wildlife management. He has worked on national projects for two federal agencies and has experience as a field forester, spending eight hours a day marking timber on snowshoes in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp