Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, is celebrating the announcement that Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) controversial public lands disposal provision has been formally withdrawn from the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill. This reversal follows a wave of national opposition—led by BHA members and supporters across all 50 states—who mobilized and kept the pressure on for weeks.“This win belongs to the hunters, anglers, and public landowners who stood up and said loud and clear: Our lands are not for sale,” said Patrick Berry, BHA President and CEO. “BHA members flooded the phone lines, sent emails, rallied their communities, and kept the pressure on until this provision was pulled. We didn’t just show up—we led the charge.”In a single day of action on June 25, BHA supporters delivered more than 33,148 messages to Congress—a record-breaking outpouring that pushed the org’s total number of grassroots actions taken since May to 137,000 and helped make this proposal politically untenable.
From small-town fly shops and family-run gear companies to industry giants and conservation influencers, BHA’s partners joined forces to amplify the call — and elected officials across the aisle took notice.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Representative Ryan Zinke for his unrelenting leadership throughout this fight on behalf of hunters and anglers along with Representatives Mike Simpson, Dan Newhouse, Cliff Bentz, and David Valadao for recognizing that this public land sale provision was unacceptable,” said Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations for BHA. “We also applaud Senators Steve Daines, Tim Sheehy, Jim Risch, and Mike Crapo for taking a stand in defense of America’s public lands legacy as well as Senator Martin Heinrich for his consistent championship of this cause. Together, we showed that when public landowners speak with one voice, we cannot be ignored.”
TRCP celebrates removal of public land sales from budget megabill
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) celebrates a critical win for America’s public lands: the removal of proposed public land sales from the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill. This victory is a testament to the strength and unity of hunters, anglers, outdoor advocates, and conservation-minded lawmakers who stood up for what’s right.
“Hunters and anglers made it abundantly clear that reconciliation is not the appropriate vehicle for public land sales,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Public lands are a cornerstone of our national heritage, our outdoor traditions, and the economies of countless communities across the country. We’re deeply grateful to Senators Sheehy, Daines, Crapo, and Risch for their leadership and all the lawmakers— including Senator Heinrich— who helped ensure this short-sighted proposal was removed.”
“The removal of public land sales from the budget bill is more than a legislative correction—it’s a reminder of the power of collective advocacy,” Pedersen continued. “This outcome affirms our long-held belief: when we unite, we win.”