Public Lands Sell Off Removed from House Budget Bill – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), representing the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy made up of over 110,000 businesses, issued the following statement on the successful removal of a provision in budget reconciliation that would have sold off hundreds of thousands of acres of America’s public lands and waters.
Just before midnight on May 7, members of the House of Representatives Natural Resource Committee added an amendment to a sprawling budget bill that would have forced the sale or transfer of some 540,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. The provision caused an uproar among public land advocates who said it would clear a path for more public land sell-offs during future budget negotiations.
In a letter sent earlier this week to House Speaker Mike Johnson, ORR emphasized the critical importance of keeping public lands selloff out of this legislation.
“At a time when the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation industry is facing significant headwinds, keeping public lands public is a bipartisan, pro-business solution and we are pleased that an amendment that would have sold off public lands and waters was stripped from the budget reconciliation package advancing in Congress.,” ORR President Jessica Turner.
“Keeping public lands and waters open and accessible to all Americans is a business imperative that ensures economic growth, job creation, public health benefits from more time outsides, and attracts investment in gateway communities that depend on these lands for their livelihoods,” she continued. “We commend leaders like Public Lands Caucus co-founders Representatives Zinke and Vasquez and other bipartisan members for leading this effort in the House.
“We believe there may be instances in which small, targeted leases, exchanges or sale-purchase models are in the public’s and recreationists’ interest—and we will work with Congresswoman Maloy and Amodei to better understand their constituents’ needs and find common ground solutions, but reconciliation legislation did not allow for appropriate mechanisms to protect recreation access, funding, or public input or allow revenue generated to stay in local communities for conservation and recreation access,” Turner said.
“Congress avoided setting a dangerous precedent that lands can be sold anytime the U.S. Treasury needs a budget ‘pay-for’ and threatening outdoor recreation businesses and rural communities alike that need certainty, access, and long-term infrastructure. We will continue our work with the Trump Administration, Republicans and Democrats standing up for America’s best return on investment – our public lands and waters,” she concluded.
Other Statements
“The public lands sell-off provision would have set a dangerous precedent that would open the door to the further disposal of public lands without public input, and could eventually lead to widespread sale or transfer of public lands all across the nation. The existing law that has governed land stewardship for nearly 50 years already allows for appropriate sales and transfers under limited, well-defined circumstances. A separate law requires that money raised from those sales go right back into land stewardship. This provision would have undermined all of that,” said David Willms, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation.
“In recent weeks, hunters, anglers, conservationists, recreationists, and rural community leaders have expressed outrage at this proposal,” Willms continued. “Thank you to Rep. Ryan Zinke and his colleagues who listened to their constituents and worked with House leaders to eliminate the provision from the budget reconciliation bill. We urge all members of Congress to refrain from similar attacks on America’s public lands.”
“The American people have spoken loud and clear – our public lands should not be for sale. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle were right to throw this proposal in the trash can, but a bad bill is still a bad bill. As written, Donald Trump’s reconciliation package is a giveaway to corporate polluters that would make it easier for billionaires to drill, mine, and log the public lands that belong to all Americans, from the Arctic Refuge to the desert landscapes of the southwest. We will continue to work to keep the ‘public’ in public lands and make sure that big corporations pay their fair share,” said Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program.
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