The U.S. Senate just proposed the largest public land sell-off in the nation’s history—over 3 million acres of Forest Service and BLM land, including places vital for our cherished bikepacking routes. Experts are calling it “the gravest threat to public lands” ever to move through Congress. We helped stop this once, and now they’re back with an even more extreme version. Learn more here….

The Senate has introduced what experts are calling the most sweeping public land sell-off in U.S. history—over 3 million acres of Forest Service and BLM land, or about four times the size of Rhode Island. Buried in the massive “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the proposal is advancing through the reconciliation process, which allows it to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold and public debate.

Unlike past legislation that was more specific, this bill opens the door to selling virtually any multiple-use public land, including areas critical for outdoor recreation, including bikepacking. It mandates the sale of up to 0.75% of Forest Service and BLM lands with minimal safeguards and vague language around housing discreetly designed to benefit wealthy private interests.

Justin McKinley, Moots Mooto X YBB

“This package is truly the gravest threat to public lands we have ever seen moving through Congress,” said Louis Geltman, VP of Policy and Government Affairs at Outdoor Alliance. “Beyond the flagrant assault on public lands, it would be hard to imagine a ‘process’ more ripe for abuse and cronyism than what is spec’d out here.”

Not long ago, the outdoor community successfully pushed to remove 500,000 acres of land sales from the House version of this bill. Now, the Senate has doubled down with an even more aggressive approach—and it’s time to speak up again.

Outdoor Alliance put together a simple action form that allows you to contact your Senators and let them know what’s at stake. This stuff works, folks! Like Outdoor Alliance, we believe that public lands should be preserved and managed for the benefit of future generations—not auctioned off for short-term gains or handed over to private interests. Learn more about it here, where you can scroll down to fill out the form, which only takes a few seconds.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

FILED IN (CATEGORIES & TAGS)

Dispatch

 public-lands  

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.