The following is a report from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.
Our public lands and waters are uniquely American and are the foundation of the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, supporting five million jobs and fueling businesses in communities large and small, rural and urban. Millions of Americans turn to our shared landscapes and waterways for adventure, health and quality of life.
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), our over 40 national associations and the 110,000 American businesses they represent, strongly oppose the large-scale transfer or sale of public lands and waters. This wouldn’t just threaten outdoor recreation and the American quality of life but would also deal a devastating blow to the critical jobs, businesses, and communities that rely on these treasured places. As we have for years, we urge Congress to keep public lands public and out of the federal budget reconciliation process and remind them this is a losing position politically and for the future of our country.
ORR also stands ready to work with the Joint Task Force established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of the Interior on bipartisan solutions that address the housing affordability crisis in America, improve the management of public lands and enhance recreation access, support a thriving outdoor recreation economy, and are in accordance with the law and local recreation business and stakeholder input.
While nuance is not often welcome in today’s policy debates, we know after talking to Democrats, Republicans, long-time agency staff, sportsmen, recreationists, and businesses that small-scale transfers under very specific circumstances have allowed the agencies to do their job better and have opened up new lands for recreation access. The following framework reinforces and sets new guidance for these lands under consideration. The very fact that these lands are public means we have a voice in their management, so ORR looks forward to working with any policymaker or recreation industry partner to ensure we get this right—the cost is too high not to.
Our public lands and waters are uniquely American and are the foundation of the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, supporting 5 million jobs, and fueling businesses in communities large and small, rural and urban, in every corner of the country. The outdoor recreation industry, and many other sectors, depend on access to our shared outdoor spaces. The campground operator in national forests, the concessionaire hosting families in our national parks, the boat company creating access to our wildlife refuges, the hunting guide navigating Americans on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, the local outfitters, gear and vehicle manufacturers and retailers, ski resort operators, and thousands of other American businesses all rely on our public lands and water to thrive.
ORR, our over 40 national association members and the over 110,000 American recreation businesses we collectively represent completely oppose the large-scale transfer or sale of public lands and waters, which isn’t just a threat to the outdoor recreation economy and the American quality of life but would also deal a devastating blow to the jobs, businesses, and communities that rely on them. Additionally, ORR strongly urges Congress to keep public land sales out of federal reconciliation legislation.
ORR understands there may be instances in which small, targeted leases, exchanges or sale-purchase models may be in the public and recreationists’ interest by helping to enhance access to outdoor recreation opportunities, improve the management of public lands, or support affordable housing needed to sustain the outdoor recreation economy. We know BLM has identified parcels they have had trouble managing for years but in order to grow the outdoor recreation economy and the backbone of many rural communities, ORR recommends the following criteria be followed to proactively address and overcome challenges with public land transfer or sale, educate lawmakers, engage stakeholders, and put a stop to sell-off proposals that are a redline for the entire outdoor recreation economy and the thousands of communities and millions of Americans who rely on it:
- Adhere to existing public lands disposal and exchange authorities granted to the BLM and USFS, as well as the modified land exchange or sale-purchase model (e.g., FLTFA).
- Ensure no recreation access loss or negative impact on any outdoor recreation activity or community.
- Direct proceeds from land transactions back into conservation of current federal lands and waters or future acquisitions of high-value recreation or conservation areas.
- Evaluate each opportunity on its own merit as every instance is unique.
- Provide opportunities for public review and comment and ensure that the input and guidance of recreationists and recreation businesses is fully considered by the managing agency or other decision-maker(s).
- Ensure that there is widespread support or no meaningful opposition from local recreationists or recreation business.
- Current funding, infrastructure and staffing challenges for federal land management agencies must be addressed for the outdoor recreation economy to continue to grow and the transfer or sale of public lands is no way a solution to these management challenges nor is it a funding mechanism for reconciliation.
ORR stands ready to work with Congress and the Joint Task Force established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of the Interior on pragmatic solutions that address the housing affordability crisis in America and support a thriving outdoor recreation economy.
