Our public lands are back in the crosshairs, this time in a new provision to the "Big Beautiful Bill."
The Senate's provision mandates the removal of between 2 million and 3 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land across 11 states, including more than 50,000,000 acres of sale-eligible land across the Four Corners region.
| State | Total Acreage Available for Sale | USFS Acreage Available for Sale | BLM Acreage Available for Sale |
| Colorado | 14,352,632 | 9,384,415 | 4,968,217 |
| Arizona | 14,423,967 | 8,421,847 | 6,002,121 |
| New Mexico | 14,312,074 | 6,479,502 | 7,832,572 |
| Utah | 18,746,709 | 6,096,360 | 12,650,349 |
| Total | 51,835,382 | 30,382,124 | 31,453,259 |
This is the most extreme land sale plan ever proposed, and once passed, there are no restrictions on which USFS or BLM parcels are included.
Now more than ever, we must take action. Public lands are NOT FOR SALE. They support local economies, wildlife, and a healthy environment.
While it may not seem like much, contacting our elected officials does make a difference. Keep up the calls and emails.
Who do I contact?
Colorado
Senator Bennet:
- DC Office: 202-224-5852
- Durango Office: 970-259-1710
- Denver Office: 303-455-7600
Senator Hickenlooper:
- DC Office: 202-224-5941
- Denver Office: 303-244-1628
Utah
Senator Mike Lee:
- DC office: 202-224-5444
- Salt Lake City Office: 801-524-5933
Senator John Curtis:
- DC Office: 202-224-3121
- Salt Lake City Office: 801-524-4380
Arizona
Senator Mark Kelly
- DC Office: 202-224-2235
- Phoenix Office: 602-671-7901
Senator Ruben Gallego
- DC Office: 202-224-4521
- Phoenix Office: 480-697-3600
New Mexico
Senator Martin Heinrich
- DC Office: 202-224-5521
- Albuquerque Office: 505-346-6780
Senator Ben Ray Luján
- DC Office: 202-224-6621
- Albuquerque Office: 505-337-7023
What should I say?
-Thank the Senators for their efforts in opposing actions by the Trump Administration that negatively impact our public lands and for supporting federal workers.
-Voice your concerns for protecting public lands. Support the Antiquities Act. Speak to the legislative proposals listed below.
-Share the importance of federal lands workers keeping their jobs.
-Tell them you do not want your public lands sold off to the highest bidder. Tell your representatives that you know there is not an energy crisis, and we don't need to open up our public lands to more extraction.
Here's a script to use when you call:
CALL SCRIPT
Hi, my name is [Name], and I'm a constituent from [City], Zip Code.
I'm calling to urge Senator (Last Name) to vote NO on the Big Beautiful Bill- or any bill- that includes provisions to sell off our public lands.
This bill threatens up to 3 million acres of land that belong to all of us. Selling them off to the highest bidder is a betrayal of our heritage, outdoor access, and future generations.
Our public lands are not for profit. They support local economies, wildlife, and a healthy environment. Once they're gone, we don't get them back.
Please stand up for public lands and vote NO on this bill.
(Include a personal story from BLM or USFS land) THANK YOU.
What else can I do?
Use the Media. Write Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds in newspapers.
Fill your social media with facts and information.
Engage with groups working to protect our public lands and our democracy.
Spread the word within your community.
Organize/attend local Public Lands events.
Travel for bigger events if possible.
Legislation:
👎 H.R. 521: Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act, which would remove the ability of the president to designate national monuments.
👎 HR 1206: To require the BLM to withdraw the 'Public Lands Rule', which puts conservation on equal footing as oil and gas development on public lands.
👎 H.R. 471: Fix Our Forests Act - hiding behind wildfire mitigation, this bill would weaken environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act, and make it easier to log national forests.
👎 H.R. 1997: Congressman Hurd's Productive Public Lands Act - recklessly reissues nine western land management plans, five in Colorado, that were created by diverse stakeholders over many years to protect all lands from energy development.
👍 H.R. Public Lands in Public Hands Act - bans the sale or transfer of most public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. The bill also requires congressional approval for the disposal of publicly accessible federal land tracts exceeding 300 acres and for public land tracts exceeding 5 acres that are accessible via a public waterway.
1 comment
All parties contacted repeatedly. Thank you for this list together. If you could just send me the contacts for the Republicans, that would be great. Good Work, Matt