I've had it. I'm done. I can't stay quiet any longer. And this is probably going to piss off a lot of people, but I really don't care.
I am sick and tired of seeing outdoor influencers, brands, and others on social media continue to do absolutely jack shit for public lands. You have folks in the powersports space, folks in the hunting and fishing space, and folks that love 4x4ing, camping, climbing, etc, all of whom have massive followings that could be mobilized to protect our publics lands, all of whom derive monetary gain from said public lands, and they're all silent as a tomb when our public lands come under attack.
And it's not just individuals on social media, either.
It's companies that sell you all your favorite machines and gear that aren't speaking up either. It's groups like SEMA, the Motorcycle Industry Council, or the National Powersports Dealers Association, which supposedly want you to buy a bunch of aftermarket parts and off-road machines so you can get out and onto the trails. They'll gladly talk about tariffs or the Harley-Davidson boardroom coup, as those affect their bottom lines.
But they're "mum's the word" when it comes to public lands, even though those would likely affect them to a far greater extent. And I've given them, along with a host of influencers, time to take a damn stand. They haven't. So no more.
It's time we, as a collective, call them out.
Last week, the Senate committee responsible for managing our public lands brought forth a new provision to mandate a sell-off of at least 3 million acres of our public lands, along with looking at an additional sell-off of 40% of the total public lands acreage for somewhere in the range of 260 million acres. And during the last few days, the only folks who've been hell-bent on protecting those lands for the last few decades have said anything, posted anything, or rallied the troops to fight the provision.
Everyone else said absolutely nothing, and that's unacceptable.
There are countless big and small companies that derive so much from public lands and public lands access. There are countless influencers and social media personas who derive their entire claim to fame from public lands. And I'm not asking for much outside of just posting that the public lands that they utilize so greatly are in jeopardy. That my own idiot of a senator wants to cull the land they, and all of us, use. And sell it off to fund a billionaire tax cut and cause untold damage to future generations.
It doesn't even have to be political. It's just a statement of fact.
So I ask, where's Ford, Dodge, or Chevy's statement coming out against Senator Mike Lee's asinine plan to sell off our public land? Moreover, where's Toyota's, which has profited so much from its off-road TRD and Land Cruiser models? Where's SEMA's, which supposedly had a seat at the table with the Secretary of the Interior, and Captain Planet villain, Doug Burgum? Where's Polaris' or BRP's? Where's the outrage and hellfire against these idiotic plans from folks like Rocky Mountain ATV/MC? Where is Backcountry Discovery Routes' statement, as it wouldn't exist without public lands?
Where is the condemnation from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's? Or Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, or the countless other manufacturers that sell off-road machines? Why aren't more folks standing up for public lands? Why aren't the hunting or off-road influencers, who are too numerous to count, posting about this land steal every single day to rally the troops when public lands garner near universal approval?
If there was ever a safe political bet, it's that the public loves public lands and hates it when greedy-ass politicians try and steal them.
It's time to get off your collective asses, folks, and do something. Cause the forces attempting to kill even the notion of public lands are at our proverbial doorsteps and aim to take them away from us once and for all. Start telling your fans and followers to call their representatives right now.
