Statement from Trust for Public Land President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser on the Senate Removing the Public Land Sale Provision from Budget Reconciliation
Denver, CO – Trust for Public Land President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser issued the following statement after news that Senator Mike Lee’s proposal to mandate the sale of millions of acres of federal public lands has been removed from the Senate budget reconciliation package:
“This is a good day for public lands. The decision to remove this misguided land sale provision from the budget reconciliation bill is not only the right thing to do but is also a winning issue. Today marks a victory for the American people and for the overwhelming majority who have made their opposition to the sale of public land unmistakably clear. It was a bad idea when it was first introduced, and it remains a bad idea now.
Selling off millions of acres of public lands to private interests would have undermined decades of bipartisan progress to protect and expand access to the places we all share and love. This decision recognizes what so many Americans already know: our public lands are not for sale.
But this threat is far from over. New efforts continue to target our public lands and undo decades of bipartisan conservation progress—including attempts to weaken the Great American Outdoors Act and dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Public lands are not political bargaining chips—they are national treasures that fuel local economies, improve public health, strengthen community resilience to a changing climate, and provide space for people to connect with nature and each other.
Trust for Public Land wants to thank Senators Crapo, Daines, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Risch, and Sheehy, as well as Representatives Zinke and Vasquez, for their Congressional leadership and continued support of public lands, and all the lawmakers who ensure public lands are a part of our national fabric for generations to come.”
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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are need the most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
