The promising news comes just one day after the announcement of a new bipartisan congressional caucus focused on opposing future attempts to sell or transfer public lands.
MISSOULA, Mont. — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, welcomes a significant development in the ongoing fight to keep “public lands in public hands.” This week, the House Natural Resources Committee released its portion of the Republicans’ budget reconciliation package and proposals to sell or transfer public lands are nowhere to be found.
BHA and public land advocates nationwide had raised early concerns that lawmakers might pursue public lands as a budget pay-for. Instead, the committee’s proposal centers on expanded energy development, including quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, new offshore lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, and permitting changes aimed at accelerating project approvals.
“The decision to leave public land sales out of this package is a clear and encouraging signal that our voices are being heard — and that when we stand united for public lands, we can help shape meaningful outcomes,” said Patrick Berry, BHA President and CEO. “We’re encouraged by this outcome and hopeful it lays the groundwork for a broader commitment by Congress and the administration to pursue energy development responsibly and in balance with the long-term health of these irreplaceable places.”
While the exclusion of public land sales is promising, the committee’s proposal still includes provisions that warrant close scrutiny. Proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) could limit environmental reviews and shorten permitting timelines for energy projects – potentially weakening safeguards for public access, wildlife habitat, and water quality. Additional concerns include language that would roll back millions of acres of management plans across the West, reduce conservation funding for federal agencies, and amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in ways that could undermine protections for priority landscapes and ongoing conservation work in the region.
Bipartisan Caucus Forms to Oppose Public Land Sales
Adding to the momentum, Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT) have announced the formation of a bipartisan congressional caucus aimed at opposing future efforts to sell or transfer public lands. Backed by more than 10 lawmakers from Western states, the caucus intends to show unified resistance to proposals that would prioritize short-term revenue over long-term public access and conservation.
BHA will continue to closely monitor the budget process – advocating for solutions that strengthen, rather than compromise, the future of our wild public lands and waters.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.
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