Latest news with #PublicLandsCaucus
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zinke leads push to strip public lands sale from federal budget bill
Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke speaks at a press conference announcing the launch of the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus on May 7, 2025. (Courtesy photo) Calling it his 'San Juan Hill,' a reference to a Spanish-American War battle victory by Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday he had successfully led a bipartisan charge to remove a provision to sell public lands from the federal budget bill. The provision to sell off roughly 450,000 acres of federal land in Utah and Nevada passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in early May, but met opposition from conservation groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The proposed sale and exchanges of land involved areas near Las Vegas, Reno and St. George, Utah, aimed at allowing for affordable housing developments on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Land. Zinke, a Republican and former Interior Secretary who formed the new bipartisan Public Lands Caucus the day after the provision was adopted in committee, has been a strong opponent to the sale of federal public land. 'I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn't creating more land,' Zinke said in a press release on Wednesday. 'Public access, sportsmanship, grazing, tourism… our entire Montanan way of life is connected to our public lands.' The House Rules Committee removed the provision from the budget bill after opposition from several Western Republicans, including Zinke, Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana, and Public Lands Caucus Vice Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. The opposition to public lands sale threatened to derail President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' a sweeping 1,116-page bill that contains the administration's spending priorities. With the federal land transfer portion struck from the reconciliation package, Zinke and Downing both endorsed the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which includes extending the Trump Administration's tax cuts from 2017, increasing funding for the border wall, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and temporarily eliminates taxes on overtime work and tips. The bill could also cut funding from programs such as Medicaid and SNAP benefits, which states may have to fund in order to keep service levels intact. It also includes implementing work requirements for Medicaid within two years and accelerates the phase-out of clean energy tax credits enacted by former President Joe Biden. The bill, which passed an initial House vote by a single vote, still faces opposition for its price tag. The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it would add nearly $4 trillion to the nation's debt. Multiple conservation groups released statements praising the work done by Zinke, and thousands of constituents nationwide, to remove the public lands sale amendment from the bill. 'Tens of thousands of Montana hunters, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts have been flooding the Capitol switchboard, attending weekend rallies, and writing letters and postcards to Congress, asking that the public lands transfer amendment be killed,' said Mike Mershon, board chair and president of the Montana Wildlife Federation, in a statement. . 'Selling our shared public lands to pay for tax cuts for the rich was and is an awful, un-American idea, and we appreciate Rep Zinke's work to keep it out of the bill. His colleagues never should have considered it in the first place,' Lydia Weiss, senior director for government relations at The Wilderness Society, said in a statement. Montana Conservation Voters, Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, MeatEater and other groups also released statements. The success in appealing to Republican leaders to make the change marked a strong win for the new members of the Public Lands Caucus. Downing said in a statement that he was pleased the bill removed the public lands sale, and that it includes keeping the Bull Mountains Mine in Musselshell County operational. 'Our legislation delivers historic tax cuts, secures our borders, strengthens key programs for future generations, eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, and sets the country on a path toward fiscal responsibility,' Downing said. 'Our work is not done, but Republicans will not rest until this once-in-a-generation legislation is signed by the President.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans remove language in Trump budget bill to sell public lands in Utah
WASHINGTON — Republicans stripped language to sell off about 11,000 acres of public lands in Utah to help pay for President Donald Trump's massive tax package in a last-minute alteration to the budget framework released on Wednesday night. The change was revealed in Republicans' manager's amendment, a procedural tool to make key changes to provisions in the bill before it reaches the floor. The amendment was negotiated among rank-and-file Republicans, House GOP leaders, and Trump himself over the last few weeks in order to get all corners of the party on board to advance the president's agenda. In the manager's amendment that was published just after 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Republican leaders removed language from the budget resolution to greenlight public land sales in Utah and Nevada totaling more than 211,000 acres across the two states. The original amendment was led by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, who drafted the provision upon request from officials in Washington and Beaver counties, who would've facilitated the sale. 'Washington County and Beaver County are landlocked and growing quickly but cannot function because of endless red tape on federal lands,' Maloy told the Deseret News earlier this month. 'At their request, I introduced an amendment to convey, at fair market value, targeted land — land needed by local governments for infrastructure.' About 63% of Utah's land is owned by the federal government, the most of any state in the country aside from Nevada. The lands that would have been sold make up 'only a third of one percent of federal lands in the state,' according to Maloy. Maloy told the Deseret News she was informed the language would be stripped from the final bill before it was released. The proposal was met with pushback from some Republicans who have historically opposed public land sales, such as Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., the co-chairman of the newly created Public Lands Caucus. 'There's a lot of frustration down in the West. I understand that,' Zinke said in response to the amendment earlier this month. 'But I prefer the management scheme. And I give an example as a hotel — if you don't like the management of a hotel, don't sell the hotel. Change the management. That's where I sit on that position.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zinke forms bipartisan Public Lands Caucus
Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke speaks at a press conference announcing the launch of the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, while Montana Rep. Troy Downing listens. (Courtesy photo) Montana U.S. Rep Ryan Zinke, a Republican, joined with Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NewMexico, to launch a new bipartisan congressional coalition focused on conserving America's public lands and expanding access to natural resources for all Americans. At a press conference in Washington D.C. last week, Zinke announced the launch of the Public Lands Caucus, which he will co-chair with Vazquez, comprising 14 members of the U.S. House representing districts across country, but heavily centered in the West. 'Our public lands is not a Republican or a Democrat issue. It's an American issue, and we should use it in that context of being red, white and blue,' Zinke said during the press conference announcing the caucus' formation. 'It's important that we talk about better management to preserve and defend why we live in the West and why America's greatest idea should be preserved and defended.' Zinke was the former Secretary of the Interior during Donald Trump's first administration before resigning amid a series of ethics investigations. The caucus' goal is to bring lawmakers together to advance 'practical, consensus-driven public lands policy that conserves national resources while supporting recreation, local economies and public access,' according to a press release from Zinke's office. 'Make no mistake, our public lands are this nation's great equalizer. On the water, on the land or in the back country, we all benefit equally from the foundations laid by great conservation leaders like Aldo Leopold and Teddy Roosevelt,' Vasquez said during the press conference. 'Public lands and public access to our forests, rivers, grasslands and deserts are a unique American experience that we must continue to fight for and that we cannot take for granted. They also help support a multi billion dollar industry, an outdoor recreation that powers rural communities, connects Americans to their history and to their heritage, and allows us to pass on our traditions to the next generation.' In addition to the two founding caucus chairs, the Public Lands Caucus includes representatives from Michigan, Idaho, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Montana. Rep. Troy Downing, a freshman congressman representing Montana's eastern district, told reporters at the press event that '100%' of Montana's representatives supported the idea. Downing referenced his time serving on the Montana Land Board while he was the State Auditor, a five-member board that managed 5.5 million acres of state land, where he helped manage lands by 'sustained yield,' to preserve them for generations. 'In Montana, public lands, public land access, hiking, hunting, fishing are incredibly important to us. You could say it's in our veins, making sure that we are being stewards of these incredible assets,' Downing said. 'But that's not just Montana. That's not just the western states. It's not a partisan issue. I don't care what side of the aisle you come from, or if you come from neither side of the aisle. You care about this. You understand.' Many conservation-focused groups expressed their support of the new coalition, including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and Western Landowners Alliance. Public lands have become a political flashpoint in recent months as the Trump administration has promoted the idea that federal lands are part of the nation's 'balance sheet' and could be utilized to help pay off the national debt. In early April, when the U.S. Senate passed its federal budget, Montana's two Republican Senators, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, bucked their party in a vote for an amendment which would have prevented the sale of public lands to lower the federal deficit, though the amendment failed 49-51. Showing that all of Montana's congressional delegation shares a similar idea on keeping public lands public, Zinke reintroduced his 'Public Lands in Public Hands Act,' earlier this year with Vasquez, a bill which would ban the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest service from selling or transferring 'most public land,' except in specific circumstances. And in Helena, a resolution which would have supported a Utah lawsuit against the federal government seeking to transfer federal land to the state, was defeated in the Legislature on a 33-66 vote. But the issue continues to gain traction. Late Tuesday night, the day before Zinke announced the launch of the new caucus, House Republicans on the Natural Resource Committee approved an amendment that authorizes the sale of thousands of acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah. The proposed sales and exchanges are part of a large budget reconciliation bill that will require a vote before the full House. The lands involved are almost all near the urban areas of Las Vegas, Reno and St. George, Utah, and appear aimed at allowing for affordable housing developments on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. The move has drawn opposition from Democrats and conservation groups. Tracy Stone-Manning, a Montanan who used to lead the BLM under the Biden administration and is now president of the Wilderness Society, told NPR that the move was the start of a bigger push to transfer federal lands. 'Congress is considering selling off our public lands to pay for tax cuts to the wealthy,' Stone-Manning said. 'What we're seeing from this administration is no balance at all.' During the Public Lands Caucus press conference, reporters asked Zinke about the committee actions, and Zinke responded, according to Politico, by saying he would make it clear to House leadership that he opposed the idea. 'I strongly don't believe (land sales) should be in the reconciliation bill,' Zinke said, though he did not explicitly say that he would oppose the entire reconciliation package as it stands.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Zinke (R-MT) launch new bipartisan public lands caucus
U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, on May 7, 2025 announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus. (Photo courtesy U.S. Rep. Vasquez's office) Amidst upheavals in public land management, budget proposals to cut millions in funding from conservation and an amendment by House Republicans approving the sale of federal lands in two states, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus, co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, to oppose the sale of public lands. 'Public lands are where I learned to fish, hunt, and connect with my family and culture — and those experiences shaped who I am,' Vasquez said in a statement. 'These lands don't belong to one party or one group of people; they belong to all of us. The Public Lands Caucus is about protecting that birthright — bringing Democrats and Republicans together to preserve access, defend conservation, and invest in the outdoor economy that powers rural communities like mine in southern New Mexico. This is personal for me, and I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to keep our public lands in public hands.' In addition to Vasquez and Zinke, the caucus includes 12 additional members, equally divided from both major parties. 'I follow the Theodore Roosevelt motto that public lands are 'for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,' and that means making sure we both conserve and manage those lands to ensure public access for the next generation,' Zinke said in a statement. 'Public lands aren't red or blue issues, it's red white and blue. The bipartisan Public Lands Caucus brings together lawmakers who don't agree on much, but we agree on and are ready to work together to promote policies that advance conservation and public access. I look forward to working with Co-Chair Vasquez, the vice chairs, and all the members of this caucus so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities to hunt, hike, fish, make a living and enjoy our uniquely American heritage.' The initiative earned quick praise from the national Outdoor Recreation Roundtable nonprofit, whose Senior Vice President Whitney Potter Schwartz described the new caucus in a statement as 'a significant and welcome step forward in protecting and expanding access to our public lands and waters that power America's $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy and enrich the lives of millions of Americans. Keeping public lands public is a business imperative. There couldn't be a more important time to stand up for America's best return on investment and keep public land selloff out of reconciliation.' Also in public lands congressional news, Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, on Wednesday sent a scolding letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the advancement of authority to former DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen, accompanied by a list of questions regarding Hassen's employment. The Interior Department, Heinrich notes in the letter, 'plays a vital role in managing public lands, safeguarding cultural resources, and engaging in responsible energy development. Delegating sweeping authorities and responsibilities to a non-Senate confirmed person in violation of the Vacancies Reform Act is baffling and extremely troubling.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
E&E News
07-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Zinke wants public land sales out of Republican megabill
Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke expressed opposition Wednesday to language in the GOP's tax, energy and border security package mandating public land sales. The House Natural Resources Committee approved its portion of the party-line legislation after hours of debate. And close to midnight on Tuesday, the panel added an amendment ordering the sale of about 11,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. Zinke's opposition, which he plans on making clear to House leaders, could imperil the GOP's plans to approve their megabill by simple majority through the budget reconciliation process. Advertisement 'I have told leadership before, I have told leadership since, that … I strongly don't believe [land sales] should be in the reconciliation bill,' Zinke said during a press conference launching a Public Lands Caucus.
