The following was shared in the RV Industry Association’s News & Insights report.
A new proposal in the Senate threatens millions of acres of public land across the West.
As part of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee’s budget reconciliation bill, led by Senator Mike Lee, there’s a mandate that the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service must sell between 0.5% and 0.75% of their managed lands across 11 Western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
That translates to the forced sale of roughly 2 to 3 million acres of public land.
Additionally, the proposal does not guarantee continued public access to these lands after they’re sold. This means outdoor enthusiasts, RVers, campers and future generations could permanently lose access to some of the most cherished outdoor spaces in the country, all without proper public input.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) is seeking stories from businesses and individuals on how a Senate proposal to mandate the sale of America’s public lands could threaten access to outdoor recreation.
In the ORR’s survey (below), participants are asked to describe why public lands are significant to them and highlight how losing access to these outdoor spaces would impact their business.
Share your story with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable here.
The RV Industry Association, in partnership with the RV Dealers Association and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, has also been advocating for the protection of public lands. One of these advocacy efforts is a new grassroots tool, which calls on the outdoor recreation industry to take action in favor of America’s public lands.
The grassroots tool allows people to send a message to their elected officials calling for the protection of public lands, which power outdoor recreation and support thousands of small businesses, RV campgrounds and livelihoods nationwide.
