Resolutions opposing the sell-off of public lands have recently passed in counties and towns in California, Idaho, and New Mexico, demonstrating widespread support for their conservation. Overall, over 60 Western communities have passed resolutions or sent letters opposing public lands sell-off.
“Our communities' health and economic wellbeing depend on the public lands,” said Mammoth Lakes, California, Mayor Chris Bubser. “Outdoor recreational tourism contributes more than 70% of the dollars in our town’s general fund…but shifting policy at the federal level and failure to provide adequate funding are putting these irreplaceable natural spaces, and the hundreds of good-paying jobs that depend on them, at risk…It’s our responsibility to protect our public lands, and we’ll continue fighting to make sure they stay right where they belong: in public hands.”
The resolutions come at a time when the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to rescind the Public Lands Rule, which makes conservation an official use of public lands.
Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum explained the proposed rescission, writing, “The previous administration’s Public Lands Rule had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land – preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West. The most effective caretakers of our federal lands are those whose livelihoods rely on its well-being. Overturning this rule protects our American way of life and gives our communities a voice in the land that they depend on.”
A public comment period for the rescission ended on November 10, with the vast majority of commenters opposing the move.
A resolution approved in late October in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, urged the support of policies that “ensure long-term preservation, sustainable multiple-use management, and full federal funding for public land programs.”
"Public lands should stay in public hands. In a unanimous and bipartisan vote Bernalillo County, New Mexico's most populous county, spoke loud and clear that we deeply value public lands in our community and this principal should continue to be upheld by our federal delegation,” said Bernalillo County, New Mexico County commissioner Eric Olivas. “Public lands are part of the culture and fabric of our community in all the best and most beneficial ways."
The City of Albuquerque also voted to enact a memorial supporting public lands. The memorial will highlight the importance of preserving spaces like the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest and Petroglyph National Monument.
“We depend on these places, and were appalled by recent attempts to sell them off, which is why the City of Albuquerque is taking action to defend them,” explained City of Albuquerque, New Mexico city councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. “Ensuring public lands remain free and openly accessible is a critical priority for us, and we’ll keep speaking out and standing up for the irreplaceable public lands we call home.”
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