Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) issued the following statement on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s reconciliation proposal that would mandate the sale of America’s public lands and threaten access to outdoor recreation:
“ORR has long worked with the administration, Republicans, and Democrats on the bipartisan objectives of improving access and infrastructure for all recreation activities and also understands the needs of Senator Lee’s constituents for long-term affordable housing. However, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s reconciliation proposal is at odds with these objectives as it could threaten our $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, the 5 million jobs it supports, and the thousands of businesses and communities that rely on access to public lands and water. Additionally, this provision has not been vetted through the appropriate Congressional process to ensure it meets all of the needs of the communities in the listed states. We urge Congress to keep the sale of public lands out of the federal budget reconciliation process as we saw how unpopular and out of touch it was with American businesses the public. The House of Representatives stripped selloff from this legislation just last month for these reasons.
“There is a long-standing process in place regarding public lands selloff, leasing, and exchanges that has been successfully utilized for decades and contains necessary guardrails to protect public interest and is compliant with current laws and regulations. Existing procedure under this process stipulates that transactions must guarantee recreation access is taken into consideration, and that revenue from lands sold is reinvested directly into conservation or access improvements, or to acquire new, high-value recreational or conservation areas. However, the new proposal changes those guidelines risking reduced recreational access, redirecting revenue away from recreation to the general Treasury, and opening the door to permanent loss of multi-use public lands to private interests. What some may see as a barren lot on a map on a Senator’s desk may actually be where a community hikes after work, rides their ATV, or teaches their kids how to hunt turkey or ride a bike. And once these treasured places are sold to private industry, they are gone forever, and in the case of this proposal, can be used for any purpose after ten years.
“Selling off public lands in this manner will not solve the real challenges our federal land agencies face—including underfunding, crumbling infrastructure, and staffing shortages. To truly sustain and grow our $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, we must address these head-on through smart investments in our land management agencies, innovation, technology, partnerships, and bipartisan policy solutions. ORR stands ready to work with all policymakers and partners to create meaningful outcomes for what communities’ care about and businesses really need–certainty that public lands will remain public for recreation as well as long-term affordable housing solutions in rural areas.”
Background:
- Outdoor Recreation Roundtable: Public Lands Sell Off is Removed from House Budget Reconciliation(05-21-2025)
- Letter to House Speaker Johnson(05-20-2025)
- Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Applauds Formation of Bipartisan House Public Lands Caucus(05-07-2025)
- The $1.2 Trillion Outdoor Recreation Economy Depends on Keeping Public Lands Public and Accessible(04-04-2025)
