Public Land Sell-Off in Senate Defeated After National Uprising by Hunters, Anglers, Public Land Advocates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 28, 2026
Contact:
media@backcountryhunters.org
Washington, D.C.—Today, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, is celebrating the announcement that Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) controversial public lands disposal provision has been formally withdrawn from the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill. This reversal follows a wave of national opposition—led by BHA members and supporters across all 50 states—who mobilized and kept the pressure on for weeks.
“This win belongs to the hunters, anglers, and public landowners who stood up and said loud and clear: Our lands are not for sale,” said Patrick Berry, BHA President and CEO. “BHA members flooded the phone lines, sent emails, rallied their communities, and kept the pressure on until this provision was pulled. We didn’t just show up—we led the charge.”
In a single day of action on June 25, BHA supporters delivered more than 33,148 messages to Congress—a record-breaking outpouring that pushed the org’s total number of grassroots actions taken since May to 137,000 and helped make this proposal politically untenable.
From small-town fly shops and family-run gear companies to industry giants and conservation influencers, BHA’s partners joined forces to amplify the call — and elected officials across the aisle took notice.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Representative Ryan Zinke for his unrelenting leadership throughout this fight on behalf of hunters and anglers along with Representatives Mike Simpson, Dan Newhouse, Cliff Bentz, and David Valadao for recognizing that this public land sale provision was unacceptable,” said Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations for BHA. “We also applaud Senators Steve Daines, Tim Sheehy, Jim Risch, and Mike Crapo for taking a stand in defense of America’s public lands legacy as well as Senator Martin Heinrich for his consistent championship of this cause. Together, we showed that when public landowners speak with one voice, we cannot be ignored.”
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.
Nadia Marji
Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
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