On June 25, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) and other conservation groups across America are urging hunters, anglers, and anyone who recreates on public lands, to “flood the lines” in Washington, D.C. Whether you call or send in an email, the goal is to get at least 25,000 people voicing their support for public lands.
Republican senator Mike Lee (from Utah) has included a provision in the budget reconciliation bill currently in the Senate that would allow for the sale of virtually any National Forest or Bureau of Land Management land. The bill calls for each agency to nominate 0.5% to 0.75% of the land they manage for sale, with the stipulations that the land be “adjacent to existing developed areas, have access to existing infrastructure, or [be] suitable for residential housing.”
Land only needs to meet one of those criteria to be listed for sale. The rest of the bill’s language is vague enough that a lot of land could find itself on the chopping block. National Parks and Monuments are exempted, but National Forests are fair game.
Not all of the land highlighted on the map would be sold. However, based on the bill’s current language, this is land that could potentially be sold, until the 0.75% cap is met for both the BLM and USFS. All told, around 3 million acres would be sold if the bill passes, and it could be any of the acres highlighted on the above map.
Obviously, this has the outdoors community in an uproar. You can be part of stopping this bill by participating in Flood the Lines event on Wednesday, June 25th.
You can find a direct link to email or call your senators via this resource from BHA.
It’s worth noting that current backlash has been severe enough that Mike Lee announced on X that he will be “making changes” to his bill, though what those changes are has yet to be seen.
Hunter Nation:
You spoke, and I’m listening
I’ll be making changes in the coming days
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 22, 2025
Featured image courtesy of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.