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Outdoor Insights: More federal shenanigans when it comes to public lands
Outdoor Insights: More federal shenanigans when it comes to public lands
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Washington, D.C.
Tired of reading about scams emerging in Washington D.C. to steal the public lands legacy we hold dear? Unfortunately, there are a couple of big topics that demand the sporting public’s attention.
First, citizens have until Monday, Nov. 11, to comment on a Department of the Interior plan to eliminate the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule of 2024, which made conservation an official use of public lands. This repositioning puts outdoor recreation on the same level as the Bureau of Land Management’s other uses, like grazing and mining. The Interior’s official rationale for repealing this language is its belief that the rule is unnecessary and violates statutory direction. Interested parties should read the rollback proposal available at the Federal Register before making their comments by Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The second major point of concern is a new bill introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Earlier this summer, Lee faced a backlash when the nation’s sportsmen successfully demanded that Congress remove his proposed language to liquidate 3 million acres of public lands from a massive reconciliation bill. However, several media outlets reported last week that the senator is back with Senate File 2967, the so-called Border Lands Conservation Act. This bill shows a pattern where legislative language, deliberately misleading in its title, often fails to offer any real conservation.
Instead, the bill proposes to allow the Department of Homeland Security to enter cooperative agreements with the Agriculture and Interior secretaries. This would give them virtually unlimited authority to build roads or install other “tactical infrastructure” on any federal lands lying within a 100-mile radius from the U.S. border. This is particularly alarming as an avid outdoors user knows that a 100-mile buffer along the U.S. Canadian border encompasses vast swaths of wilderness. In the Lower 48, there’s approximately 3.3 million acres at risk, including over 800,000 acres of the Boundary Waters here in Minnesota. When Alaska is included, the total affected could easily exceed 10 million acres.
Lee’s press release propelling the Border Lands Conservation Act leans heavily on fears surrounding immigration and claims about illegal border activity resulting in trash, human waste, abandoned vehicles, and ongoing wildfire risks on federal lands. However, many observers and advocates for public lands management argue this is merely a strategy to leverage public concerns about border security to gain more direct control over pristine wild areas.
Critics of the bill, including U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, have stated that it essentially allows the Department of Homeland Security blanket permission to bulldoze, destroy, and fence off public lands, ultimately rendering them inaccessible to visitors. Jeremy Romero of the National Wildlife Federation remarked on a recent podcast that a significant aspect of this bill would amend the 1964 Wilderness Act, allowing for road development and mechanized travel in designated wilderness areas under the guise of border security. The language contained within the bill may effectively apply to all wilderness areas across the nation, not just those sitting within the 100-mile buffer.
Despite the attention surrounding the homeland security implications, many seasoned observers are not convinced of the bill’s viability. Initial support has come from only a handful of legislators, like U.S. Representative Pete Stauber and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Most analysts consider this bill unlikely to pass in the current Congress.
It is crucial for the outdoor community to scrutinize the implications of the Border Lands Conservation Act diligently as 2025 approaches. The battle for our public lands is ongoing, and vigilance is essential for all stakeholders to maintain the rightful access to and protection of these cherished spaces.
In summary, the movement to either eliminate or significantly weaken existing conservation rules through legislative trickery must be watched diligently. Early reports suggest potential ramifications on access to outdoor recreation in massive ecosystems that provide sanctuary to unique species and resources for hunters and anglers. Although many officials are monitoring these developments, it’s vital for sportsmen and women to voice their opinions before the comment deadline, reminding lawmakers of their responsibility to prioritize the lasting legacy of America’s public lands.
The legislative landscape surrounding public lands is changing significantly, with efforts to dismantle existing protections gaining traction. While some believe that this bill might struggle to gain full support, the ramifications of such legislation are profound, potentially altering accessible wilderness areas for generations. Now is the time for the outdoor community to engage actively and ensure that vital conservation efforts are not sidelined by agendas pretending to prioritize border security over genuine environmental stewardship.