Photo by Crystal Abbe Graham
As House Republicans propose to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of federally protected lands in Alaska and the western states, a new House caucus has formed to protect public lands.
In an initial draft, according to The Associated Press, House Republicans did not mention the land sale in their tax cut package, On Wednesday morning, the House Natural Resources Committee adopted the proposal. Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah put the proposal forward. Land is for sale in both Nevada and Utah.
The new Public Lands Caucus is co-chaired by Reps. Debbie Dingell of Michigan and Mike Simpson of Idaho and chaired by Reps. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico and Ryan Zinke of Montana.
According to Scenic America, an organization with a mission to preserve and enhance America‘s scenic beauty, the caucus has formed “at a critical moment” during congressional budget talks.
“America’s public lands are key to preserving the scenic beauty that defines our nation’s character. These lands are held in trust for all Americans and must be kept for future generations. Their protection is essential not only for our environment, but for our cultural identity and quality of life,” Scenic America President Mark Falzone said.
As a cornerstone of America’s natural heritage, scenic beauty, outdoor recreation economy and environmental resilience, public lands belong to the American people, not to developers or special interests, and their protection transcends partisan politics. Scenic America commends the caucus for taking a firm stand against the reckless idea of using public land sales as a budget gimmick.
A dangerous precedent is at risk if even “small parcels” of public land around urban centers are sold. America should be investing in conservation, restoration and equitable public access, not weakening protections for short-term gain. Once the lands are gone, they are gone forever.
Infrastructure projects, mining and economic development are possible for the land, including expansion of an airport and reservoir in Utah. Affordable housing is a consideration, which is much needed in Nevada.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, who is a Democrat, told the AP that 200,000 acres in Clark County, Nevada is one site, and is less than 1 percent of more than 50 million acres of land owned by the federal government in Nevada. Another lot is approximately 350,000 acres in Pershing County, Nevada, which could be of interest to mining companies.
Cortez Masto called the situation “a land grab to fund Republicans’ billionaire giveaway tax bill” in a statement.
“The creation of the Public Lands Caucus is a significant and welcome step forward in protecting and expanding access to our public lands and waters that power America’s $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy and enrich the lives of millions of Americans. Keeping public lands public is a business imperative. There couldn’t be a more important time to stand up for America’s best return on investment and keep public land selloff out of reconciliation,” Whitney Potter Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), said.
Schwartz added that the roundtable looks “forward to working with the Caucus to ensure that public lands remain public and continue to be a foundation for outdoor experiences, local economies and healthy communities for generations to come.”
The nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations representing the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, ORR will work closely with the Public Land Caucus to elevate outdoor recreation and advance policies that support rural economic development, improve access, fund infrastructure and safeguard America’s natural heritage. ORR also is committed to ensuring that public lands remain public and accessible for all Americans.
Public lands are central to the outdoor recreation economy, supporting more than 5 million American jobs and drawing individuals from all backgrounds to boat, camp, ride, hunt, fish, hike and paddle. With visitation increasing across federal, state and local public lands and water, maintaining access and improving infrastructure is more important than ever.
“Public lands are where I learned to fish, hunt and connect with my family and culture — and those experiences shaped who I am. These lands don’t belong to one party or one group of people; they belong to all of us. The Public Lands Caucus is about protecting that birthright — bringing Democrats and Republicans together to preserve access, defend conservation, and invest in the outdoor economy that powers rural communities like mine in southern New Mexico. This is personal for me, and I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to keep our public lands in public hands,” Vasquez.
Zinke said he follows the motto of former President Theodore Roosevelt: “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” For Zinke, “that means making sure we both conserve and manage those lands to ensure public access for the next generation.”
“Public lands aren’t red or blue issues, it’s red, white and blue. The bipartisan Public Lands Caucus brings together lawmakers who don’t agree on much, but we agree on and are ready to work together to promote policies that advance conservation and public access. I look forward to working with Co-Chair Vasquez, the vice chairs and all the members of this caucus so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities to hunt, hike, fish, make a living and enjoy our uniquely American heritage,” Zinke said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
