Commentary: TRCP opposes sale of public lands in Senate budget reconciliation proposal

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership expressed serious concern June 11 with a provision in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s reconciliation proposal that would mandate the sale of public lands in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming under the pretense of affordable housing.

“Hunters and anglers have made it clear that reconciliation is not the appropriate vehicle for public land sales,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the TRCP. “The Senate proposal sets an arbitrary acreage target and calls for the disposal of up to six times more land than was proposed in early versions of the House budget reconciliation bill. If passed, sportsmen and women would lose access to large tracts of public land.”

While the House version put forward land sales to approximately 500,000 acres in Utah and Nevada, the Senate proposal would accelerate land disposals across 11 western states, mandating that not less than 2 million acres and not more than 3 million acres be sold. There have been no public processes that led to the conclusion that this acreage of land sales is needed to support affordable housing.

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In early June, 44 hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations sent a letter to Senate leadership urging them to keep public lands sales out of the reconciliation bill (see below).   

“TRCP stands ready to work with lawmakers to address the needs of local communities to create affordable housing, but reconciliation is not the process for that kind of deliberative, transparent decision-making,” Pedersen said. “Once public lands are sold, they are gone for good. We urge the Senate to remove this provision from the bill.”

The letter, dated June 6, to Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. (Senate Republican Leader), and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. (Senate Democrat Leader)

Dear Leader Thune and Leader Schumer:

On behalf of America’s millions of hunters, anglers, wildlife professionals, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts, we write to encourage you to keep federal public land sales out of the budget reconciliation bill.

While we appreciate the desire to address federal land management challenges and respond to local community needs, we ask that any public land disposal be considered within transparent, public channels and that funding from sales be reinvested back into habitat and access. The reconciliation process does not provide the appropriate venue for these considerations.

Our concerns are threefold.

First, selling public lands through the reconciliation process bypasses critical public engagement opportunities provided under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and limits opportunities for hunters, anglers, recreationists, and other stakeholders to engage in decisions affecting lands that belong to all Americans.

Public participation is a cornerstone of FLPMA, ensuring transparency and accountability. We fear that curtailing FLPMA sets a troubling precedent for future land management decisions, and any approved land sales could be made that do not serve the public interest.

Second, land sales through reconciliation would likely direct proceeds from sales to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury, rather than reinvesting funds in conservation programs that sustain our nation’s wildlife, habitats, and recreational opportunities.

Federal lands have historically been a public trust investment, not a resource for general budgetary offsets, and the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act was permanently reauthorized in 2018 to collect receipts from appropriate Bureau of Land Management land sales and reinvest those dollars into projects that expand access and conserve habitat.

Diverting land sales proceeds away from conservation deviates from the deal struck by a broad spectrum of interest groups, and it would likely lower the ecological and recreational value of our public lands.

Third, and perhaps most critically, sales could include lands that are vital to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation, particularly in rural areas. Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and other outdoor recreation pursuits are deeply ingrained in our cultural heritage and provide a significant driver for rural economies.

The outdoor recreation industry has demonstrated a $1.2 trillion economic output nationally. Loss of access to valuable public land could impact hunters, anglers, and other recreationists who rely on public lands for their traditions, and could adversely affect outdoor businesses, guides and outfitters, local retailers, lodging companies, and many others who rely on outdoor recreation for their livelihoods.

We recognize the need and desire for increased efficiency in federal land management, and for communities to respond to local needs and demands, but budget reconciliation legislation is not an appropriate place for land sales. We urge you to prevent the inclusion of these provisions in the Senate bill.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration. We stand ready to work with you to ensure that our public lands continue to serve as a legacy for all Americans.

Sincerely, American Fisheries Society, American Fly Fishing Trade Association, American Sportfishing Association, American Woodcock Society, Angler Action Foundation, Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Boone and Crockett Club, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, California Waterfowl Association, Camp Fire Club of America, Captains for Clean Water, Delta Waterfowl, Izaak Walton League of America, Land Trust Alliance, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative Foundation, National Deer Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Refuge Association, New York State Conservation Council, North American Falconers Association, North American Grouse Partnership, Orion: The Hunter’s Institute, Outdoor Industry Association, Pheasants Forever, Pope and Young Club, Public Lands Foundation, Quail Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Tall Timbers, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Trust for Public Land, Whitetails Unlimited, Wildlife Management Institute, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Wildlife Mississippi.