Bipartisan Group of WA State Legislators Oppose Selling Off Federal Public Lands
Today, 66 Washington State Senators and Representatives sent a letter to each member of Washington’s U.S. Congressional delegation opposing efforts in Washington D.C. to sell off national parks, forests, national wildlife refuges and other public lands as part of a pending budget bill. The letter urges Washington State’s Congressional delegation to remove and/or oppose language in House budget bill that would allow for selling off more than 500,000 acres of federal lands.
On May 7, Americans woke up to the alarming news that, in a late-night maneuver, Reps. Amodei (NV) and Maloy (UT) slipped a last-minute amendment into a massive House budget reconciliation package mandating the sell-off of more than 400,000 acres of National Forest and Bureau of Land Management public lands in Nevada and Utah.
Among the public lands under threat include those near Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada. Photo courtesy of Bureau of Land Management
Coordinated by Washington Wild, the letter includes signatures from a bipartisan group of 43 State Representatives and 23 State Senators from Washington State. “State legislators know that national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other federal public lands in Washington State are integral to the quality of life we all enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Tom Uniack, Executive Director of Washington Wild, “This letter sends a clear message to our Senators and Representatives in Congress to oppose any efforts to sell off public lands in the pending budget negotiations.”
“State legislators know that national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other federal public lands in Washington State are integral to the quality of life we all enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest. This letter sends a clear message to our Senators and Representatives in Congress to oppose any efforts to sell off public lands in the pending budget negotiations.” —Tom Uniack, WA Wild Executive Director
A growing coalition of conservation, recreation, hunting & fishing and wildlife organizations as well as outdoor industry related businesses, Tribes and local elected officials strongly oppose any attempts to recklessly sell public lands through legislative shortcuts like budget reconciliation, which bypass public input, environmental review, and accountability; these reckless actions threaten public access, undermine responsible land management, and betray the public’s trust. Americans overwhelmingly support the protection of public lands and have consistently rejected attempts to sell them off. Time and again, the public has made it clear: our national parks, forests, and open spaces are not for sale.
In Washington State, a coalition of nearly 350 conservation, recreation and wildlife organizations as well as local business owners and elected officials representing or serving Washington citizens have formally demonstrated their support for federal public lands in Washington State. Through several different letters this growing coalition has expressed outrage and deep concern regarding recent indiscriminate firings of critical staff that ensure our public lands and resources are effectively managed and protected as well as efforts in Washington D.C.to sell off federal public lands.
As part of legislation that Congress is expected to vote on next week, 311 acres of public land directly adjacent to Zion National Park’s southern border could be sold off for development. Photo: Tom Morris
Of note, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA04) is one of 14 founding members of a new bipartisan Public Lands caucus in Congress committed to protecting access to public lands, expanding recreation opportunities, and ensuring these spaces are preserved for future generations. Washington was the only state to have 2 bipartisan founding members in the public lands caucus. The other being Representative Emily Randall (D-WA06). There is an important opportunity for Rep. Newhouse to weigh in with Republican House leadership and ask them to remove the public lands sell off provision from the House budget reconciliation bill before a House vote which could occur as early as this week.
Republicans in Congress are moving forward with a reckless and outrageous plan to sell off America’s public lands–all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. This is an unprecedented assault on our nation’s natural heritage and a clear signal that the Trump administration is fully committed to dismantling public lands in service of a radical, corporate-driven agenda.
Inserting a provision in budget reconciliation is an unacceptable shortcut. There is a longstanding process for considering limited public land conveyances– one that is transparent, rooted in place-based needs, and is accountable to the American people. This process continues to provide a responsible framework for land management decisions, ensuring that any proposed conveyance serves a compelling public interest and reflects community and conservation values.
This amendment is only the start of the push by the Trump Administration, Congressional Republicans, extractive industry, and private developers to sell off public lands across the nation. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has called for the development of public lands to pay down the national debt and went as far as suggesting that “much of” the nation’s public lands are suitable for disposal. Reps. Amodei and Maloy are making clear that they are aligned with the Trump Administration’s ideas that public lands are not worth protecting.
Outfitters, ranchers, small businesses, and entire local communities rely on public lands to sustain their livelihoods–and they stand to lose everything if this sell-off moves forward. At the same time, the trillion-dollar outdoor recreation industry, which depends on public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping, would be gutted. This isn’t just an attack on public lands–it’s an attack on the people, jobs, and way of life they support.
Our parks and forests are mostly located away from urban centers near small rural communities that are inextricably linked economically, socially, and culturally to these federal lands. These are landscapes that they call home and where they work, whether it be logging, mining, recreation, or land management. Selling off these public lands to private entities is not a solution. Once they’re sold, they’re gone for good–fences go up, access disappears and they are lost to the public forever.
