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Lawmakers Are Considering Selling Off America’s Public Lands: Here’s What You Can Do
A recently introduced budget amendment that would have blocked the sale of public lands has failed in the Senate, marking a setback for conservation and outdoor recreation advocates. The measure had been hailed as a crucial step in safeguarding the environment, recreational access, and the enduring value of natural resources at a time when Congress is actively considering selling off public lands as part of a broader effort to balance the federal budget.
Senate Vote and Its Implications
Over the weekend of April 5th and 6th, the Senate considered an amendment included in a budget resolution — the first step in crafting a budget reconciliation bill. Sponsored by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the proposal aimed to prevent the sale of public lands as a means to offset the federal deficit.
Proponents warned that selling these lands would trade irreplaceable natural assets for short-term budget relief. The amendment failed by a narrow margin of 51 votes to 48, underscoring both the contentious nature of the issue and the considerable bipartisan support for protecting public lands.
The Stakes of Public Land Protection
The amendment’s primary objective was to maintain public access for recreation while preserving the ecosystems and wildlife that depend on these lands. Supporters argued that public lands are a cornerstone of the outdoor industry and the environmental heritage of states like New Mexico and Colorado.
They cautioned that privatizing these areas could irreversibly tip the balance between fiscal policy and environmental stewardship, with lasting repercussions far outweighing any temporary financial benefits.
This map details the locations and designations of public lands in America. Photo via Public Lands Foundation
Bipartisan Concerns and Environmental Risks
Despite the amendment’s failure, several Republicans have signaled an unwillingness to sell off public lands, showcasing at least a limited cross-party consensus on the importance of public land conservation. Two Republican senators — Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines, both of Montana — sided with their Democratic counterparts, indicating a shared concern about public land conservation.
Figures such as Don Holmstrom, co-chair for the Colorado Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA), highlighted that a sale could restrict outdoor recreation and compromise ecosystem health. Similarly, Kyle Klain, policy chair for the New Mexico Chapter of BHA, decried the move as a “false economy,” arguing that once these lands exit public ownership, they cannot be recovered.
Engaging the Public
In response to the decision, groups like the Outdoor Alliance are urging citizens to communicate directly with their legislators, stressing the long-term value of keeping public lands accessible. This call for engagement reflects a broader effort to ensure that fiscal policy decisions do not undermine environmental conservation and public enjoyment of these irreplaceable resources.
The Senate’s rejection of the amendment is a pivotal moment in the debate over public land management. While it stands as a setback for those championing land sale protections, it also galvanizes further discussion and legislative action. With the future of environmental health and public access in the balance, both citizens and lawmakers are pressed to prioritize enduring ecological stewardship over temporary fiscal measures.
Featured image: Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash
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Comments 7
Denying the existence of climate change, firing scientists at the EPA, refusing to enforce environmental laws, selling our national forests and national momnuments, eliminating NOAA, unrestricted extractive industries on Federal lands, “drill, baby, drill,” etc, etc, etc,
This what to expect when Republicans are elected. And why you should never, ever, ever vote Republican.
Fine. I don’t like sale of public lands either, but I am not clear what lands they want to sell. The fact is that the US is in desperate fiscal distress with deficits and debts that no one is willing to address any other way than sale of public lands. In fact the lands are the collateral that makes the spiraling US debt possible in the first place.
Please give your suggestions on how to curb the deficit. There are only 3 choices: defense, health care, or social security. Everything else is a drop in the bucket except interest on the debt, which you better not withhold. The recent Trump/Elon cuts are particularly tiny drops in buckets. My choice is to vastly reduce Medicare and Medicaid and to modestly reduce social security. Why is there such an effort to keep us old people alive when we’re going to die soon anyway? Do it soon before the collapse occurs, when the billionaires and the Beijing government will take over Americas once-public lands whether the politicians or the people agree or not.
Easy, allow the tax cuts that are set to renew to expire since they created nearly 3 trillion in debt.
It’s a spending problem, not a revenue problem. DOGE isn’t cutting fast enough. We’re $37T in debt and quickly heading toward bankruptcy. Something drastic is necessary to curb the insane spending.
Remember this goes both ways. So repealing tax cuts will boost revenue to cover spending.
And the spending cuts are so micro sized that they are increasing costs because they are not spending cuts but political actions. If they wanted to cut costs they would cut military spending. But no. Because politics.
So raise taxes.
The answer to Social Security has been staring us in the face for decades now. Simply remove the upper dollar limit where Social Security taxes are no longer deducted from paychecks. Problem solved. Unfortunately, politicians choose not to do this, because it affects their high dollar donors.
The rest is management of spending and revenue. I firmly believe that selling public land is a short term gain. With the sales there is no discipline introduced to frugally manage our economy, so we continue the waste in government. In the mean time, the land that belongs to the public is no more and their recreational value is lost forever.
tax rich moderately more. the end.