Public Lands Sell-off Removed from Budget Bill!
After months of back-and-forth, public lands have officially been taken off the negotiation table in the federal budget reconciliation process! Facing overwhelming bipartisan public pressure—including a coalition of 415 here in Washington—and opposition in Congress, Senator Mike Lee withdrew his harmful public land sales provision from the bill.
The various iterations of Senator Lee’s public lands sell-off provisions included places here in Washington like the Skyline Divide Trail. Photo by Jessica Schmit.
A bipartisan coalition of outdoor enthusiasts across the country—hikers, mountain bikers, birders, paddlers, anglers, climbers—rose up in passionate defense of the places we all love.
The response to Washington Wild’s grassroots campaign here in Washington State was nothing short of inspiring: more than 1,200 of you responded to our six action alerts, sending nearly 3,400 emails to our Congressional Delegation. Among those were 180+ new supporters—welcome to the movement!
Mount Baker Ski Area was also at risk. Photo courtesy of MBSA.
Washington Wild also built a powerful statewide coalition of 415 local businesses—including 82 in the craft beer industry—alongside elected officials, outdoor outfitters, hunting and fishing groups, rural gateway communities, and conservation advocate organizations. Together, we made it clear: public lands are not for sale as they are essential to Washington’s economy, identity, and way of life.
This victory has made one thing abundantly clear: the public lands coalition is massive and diverse, it is passionate and creative, and it has been mobilized!
For now, public lands stay in public hands. So get outside to celebrate! Catch a sunrise from your tent, listen to the birds, play in a river, or take in the view from your favorite summit. However you enjoy our public lands, let these moments fuel the fight ahead.
The various iterations of Senator Lee’s public lands sell-off provisions included places here in Washington like the East Fork of the Humtulups River, which is included in Wild Olympics legislation. Photo by Galen Hoshovsky
