The Sportsmen’s Alliance is concerned by continued proposals to sell off federal public lands in recent Senate and House of Representative budget reconciliation bills. The latest Senate proposal, as put forth by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, mandates the federal government to dispose of over two million acres of federal public lands throughout the West. The Sportsmen’s Alliance opposes such a mandate and the method in which it has been made.
Large tracts of publicly owned and accessible lands are uniquely American. They provide opportunities for all Americans to recreate and connect with natural landscapes. They can also provide some of the best opportunities for hunters, anglers, and trappers to engage in their pursuits. Public land sales and transfers can and do happen, and when done in a thoughtful, open, and honest fashion that follows prescribed legal processes, these sales and transfers can be beneficial to all parties, including the federal government, state governments, local communities, industry, and recreators. But when these principles are pushed aside, hunters, anglers, and trappers should rightly be concerned.
“Open government and an informed citizenry are American cornerstones. Unfortunately, the recent federal land sale proposals have been anything but open, and the proposed language is so vague that no one, including the lawmakers putting forth the proposals, seems to know just how much acreage is up for grabs,” said Todd Adkins, Senior Vice President for the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Simply put, late-night amendments and budget reconciliation are inappropriate vehicles for land sale proposals.”
The Sportsmen’s Alliance opposes the widespread, haphazard sale of your public lands. Divesting of our land resources requires adherence to legal processes, thoughtful planning, and the opportunity for public engagement. Current proposals have disregarded these principles and should be removed from consideration.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
