I've been absolutely amazed by how many people of differing backgrounds have come together to fight to save our public lands. In a country that's supposedly as divided as we are, to see everyone put aside their differences and fight to conserve public lands for all, it has been awesome to watch.
You've got the granola girlies, the "bloodthirsty" hunters, the stoned Colorado climbers, and every other stereotyped outdoor group under the sun putting the heat to their elected representatives to kill this absolutely asinine public land sales provision put into the "Big, Beautiful Bill." I mean, there's a reason why the public support of public lands is something in the neighborhood of 70-80% from the last polls.
And to watch the vitriol and seething anger directed toward the Captain Planet villain, and chief architect of this public land sales proposal, who is my own Senator Mike Lee, well, that's been just a cherry on top.
Now, we just got word that the Senate Parliamentarian has, after the vast public outcry, stripped the public land sales provision from the Budget Reconciliation bill. And that, my dear friends, is a big win, and we should take stock of that win as we all came together—hunters, off-roaders, hikers, campers, fishermen, and conservationists—and showed that public lands are massively important to the American electorate. We showed that we won't go quietly into the night, and let a bunch of billionaires take hold of something that we all cherish.
The fight, however, is far from over, as despite the Parliamentarian's ruling, Lee tweeted out that while he had heard the outcry about his proposals, and while he understood the parliamentary ruling, he'd reintroduce sales but change the language so as to not make them the poison pill they are now. Those changes? Pretending he's not cutting public land sales.
He's also doubling down on the lie that public land sales would be used for affordable housing. A lie I will always rail against in its brazenness to the truth of the matter.
The above video is from Fresh Tracks, the podcast hosted by conservationist Randy Newberg and Marcus Hockett, and the guys break down what the Parliamentarian did to throw out Mike Lee's poisonous public land sale from the budget bill. Basically, they applied the Byrd Rule, which forces any sort of budget reconciliation bill to be strictly formulated in regards to a monteray value. Or as Newberg presents it, "You can't attach things to a budget bill to try and circumvent the 60-vote requirement to end the filibuster in the Senate."
A budget reconciliation bill only requires a simple majority. However, the Byrd Rule can be applied when folks attempt to hide something within a budget bill that isn't directly tied to the budget. Therefore, the Senate Parliamentarian stripped Lee's public land sales provision from the budget proposal before it ever got to the Senate's floor and, potentially voted in by a simple majority. Which would've been the case, given the Senate's precarious balance of power. And that was likely done as the sale of public lands is so deeply unpopular among even the reddest of red states, along with the bluest of blues, that no Senator wanting to keep their jobs come the next election cycle, or wishing to ever return to their home state, would ever vote for it. They'd be crucified.
Lee, however, ain't taking this lying down, as that man's crusade to sell every piece of your public lands knows no bounds, nor does he care about his own constituents who vehemently oppose such a sell-off, too.
Housing prices are crushing families and keeping young Americans from living where they grew up. We need to change that.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 24, 2025
Thanks to YOU—the AMERICAN PEOPLE—here’s what I plan to do:
1. REMOVE ALL Forest Service land. We are NOT selling off our forests.
2. SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE…
According to Lee's Twitter account, ahead of the Parliamentarian's ruling, the Senator stated, "Housing prices are crushing families and keeping young Americans from living where they grew up. We need to change that," referring to his bold lie that public land sales would offer respite to the current housing affordability issue. It wouldn't.
Lee added, "Thanks to YOU—the AMERICAN PEOPLE—here’s what I plan to do: 1. REMOVE ALL Forest Service land. We are NOT selling off our forests. 2. SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE the amount of BLM land in the bill. Only land WITHIN 5 MILES of population centers is eligible." OK, which is it, Senator Lee? Are you not selling our forests or are you only selling forests near population centers? What qualifies as a population center? And significantly reduce the amount of BLM land in the bill would have me believe that you're still aiming to sell our public lands.
He went on to state, "3. Establish FREEDOM ZONES to ensure these lands benefit AMERICAN FAMILIES," whatever the hell that means, and "4. PROTECT our farmers, ranchers, and recreational users. They come first." Again, nothing in this tells me you heard the American electorate tell you to take a goddamn hike. Just like the Supreme Court already told your ass.
He ended with, "Yes, the Byrd Rule limits what can go in the reconciliation bill, but I’m doing everything I can to support President Trump and move this forward. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started."
As are we, Mike, as are we. But in a late night add-on, Lee sent a new proposal back to the Committee that supposedly circumvents the Bryd Rule and puts public land sales back on the table, according to a late night post from Newberg on his Instagram. And guess what, it's still the crock of shit it was to begin with, and still as deeply unpopular among the American electorate as his first asinine push to sell public lands.
It's as unpopular as Mike Lee is.
But here's the rub.
We've shown that Lee's public land sales proposal is so deeply unpopular, even those who struck backroom deals to exclude certain states—cough, cough, Montana—are turning on Lee's agenda. The American people love public lands. We love having access to public lands. And as bow hunter Cam Hanes recently said, "Not. One. Acre" will we let you sell off to fund billionaire tax cuts just so those same billionaires can buy up our public lands three months from now.
Our friends at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers had more to say. "Senator Lee continues to follow a blind and tone-deaf ideology against an avalanche of opposition from his own constituents and a remarkable cross-section of individuals, businesses, and hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations," remarked Patrick Berry, BHA President and CEO, adding, "Sadly, Lee has promised to continue his insidious fight to sell these irreplaceable resources owned and cherished by all Americans, and we all have a responsibility to keep the pressure on until this battle is won."
So folks, keep calling your representatives. Keep emailing them. Keep the pressure up. And tell them that we won't accept even a single acre of public lands being sold off to fund these idiotic measure. Here's how you can do just that thanks to the likes of The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Howl for Wildlife, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and others. And you can contact them directly here by email, or call (202) 224-3121 for the Senate's main switchboard and voice your displeasure directly.
Keep it up, folks. Keep the pressure on them. We absolutely can win this, as despite the millions in campaign donations from billionaires Lee has taken in. Despite the millions in taxpayer funds he's used to try and sway public opinion. Depsite using "influencers" who are supposedly on the side of public lands. He's losing and he knows he's losing.
As Cam said...Not. One. Acre.
