These Lands We'll Protect: AFI Veterans Speak Out Against Public Land Selloffs

As part of the federal budget reconciliation process, members of the U.S. Senate were considering the sale of up to 3 million acres of public land—much of it in the same backcountry places that help veterans heal, reconnect, and reintegrate. For those involved in Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ Armed Forces Initiative (AFI), these aren’t just parcels on a map. They’re hallowed ground.

Thankfully, over this past weekend, Senate negotiators dropped provisions to sell public lands—after procedural rules, including the Byrd Rule, made them untenable. That move, in large part, reflects tireless advocacy by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the broader outdoor community, including thousands of our BHA members who raised their voices through calls and letters over the past weeks.

This battle may be over, but the fight continues—and so do the stories below where four AFI members share their stories from recent trips afield. They are powerful evidence of what public lands mean to our veterans and why we must stay engaged.

Hunter Owen: Alaska AFI Priority Landscape / Finding Myself Again, North of the Brooks Range
Location Coordinates: 67.41107, -150.08167

The untamed wilderness of Alaska has captured the dreams of countless young men since it became a state in 1959. As I faced yet another deployment, my mind kept drifting to my family—and to the challenges waiting for me ahead. Thankfully, I had the incredible Alaskan landscape to ground me.

I remember being afraid. After an injury during my second deployment and further damage from airborne operations, I wasn’t sure my back—or my mind—could handle the strain of hiking. My knees ached, and the weight of mental health struggles was heavy. But as I moved deeper into that vast, wild land, the fear started to fade. The beauty of Alaska pulled me in, reminding me how lucky we are as Americans to have places like this—places that heal, inspire, and remind us of who we are.

Now, that good fortune is under threat—thanks to one senator. The public lands that helped me recover, and so many other people dream of exploring, could soon be sold off. And let’s be honest: they won’t be sold to you or me. They won’t become affordable housing or family campsites. They’ll end up as private playgrounds for the ultra-wealthy—gated off and locked away from the rest of us.

Don’t let that happen. Call your senator today. Tell them to stand up for public lands and stop the sale of Alaska’s wild places.

Cody Fongemie: Wyoming Shortgrass Prairie Priority Landscape / Go West Young Man
Location Coordinates: 44.17586, -106.2457

Few things in this world bring calmness and clarity to the mind, like the view of an endless horizon. And there are few places better to experience that than on our nation’s public lands.

Unfortunately, these lands are under constant threat. Time and again, members of Congress, driven by various interests, have pushed to sell off public lands to private entities for profit. They offer justifications, but none outweigh the unique, powerful value of these landscapes that have been set aside for the American people.

Many see this as just a Western issue. As someone from the East Coast, I understand that perception. But it’s a mistake. If we allow this trend to continue, what happens to those wild lands out West could become the blueprint for selling off other public lands and waters across the country.

Worse yet, it robs Americans of something far greater than acreage—it denies us the opportunity to reconnect with the land and ourselves.

This past October, I was fortunate to attend an Armed Forces Initiative Priority Landscape event in Wyoming. For me, it was a lifelong dream fulfilled. Since I was a kid, I’d imagined heading West. So, when the chance came to load up my buddy’s truck and chase pronghorns across the sagebrush, I took it without hesitation.

That week is hard to put into words. Life, as it does for many of us, can get overwhelming. But something about those wide-open spaces, the thrill of the hunt, and the camaraderie of my fellow AFI members brought a sense of mental clarity and peace I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was a reset that only time in the field can provide. That week-long experience has had a profound impact on my life, influencing my creativity, passions, and overall well-being.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about seeing parcels of public land, including some near where I hunted, being listed for sale. If these sales are successful, future generations may never have the opportunity to embark on their own journey West and experience that same peace, connection, and wonder. This issue is not just about land; it's about our shared experiences and the legacy we leave behind.

Instead of trucks packed with gear heading toward adventure, we’ll see “No Trespassing” signs and real estate developments. That cannot be allowed to happen.

Access to public lands is a core part of what makes this country special. It reflects our founding idea that we all have the right to pursue happiness. And for many of us, that pursuit takes us into wild places where we find clarity, challenge, and healing.

Now is the time to speak up. Let’s protect these lands, not just for ourselves but for every American who comes after us.

Frank Gambardella: AFI Treasurer / A First in the Medicine Bow
Location Coordinates: 41.00812, -106.52564

It makes me sick to learn that the Senate has proposed selling 3 million acres of our public lands as part of the budget reconciliation process—without any public input. I didn’t serve my country to see our shared lands quietly sold off through backroom deals.

What hits even closer to home is that one of the potential sale areas in Wyoming lies within Medicine Bow National Forest—where I harvested my first elk just last year. That hunt wasn’t just a trip; it became a personal goal that motivated me to improve my physical and mental fitness, ultimately enhancing my overall health. The solitude gave me space to reflect, recharge, and return to my family and career with renewed purpose.

During that time, I witnessed incredible wildlife—moose, antelope, whitetail, mule deer and elk—and stood in awe of the natural beauty of the Sierra Madre Mountains. I also saw firsthand the scars of past wildfires and the resilience of the land in recovery. I’ll be returning this fall, drawn again by the healing power of these wild places.

These lands are not just pieces of property, they are vital for wildlife, for personal renewal, and for future generations to experience and cherish. Our public lands are not for sale.

Shawn McCarthy: When Things Get Western
Location Coordinates: 44.53822, -108.87248

Being a senior leader for half of my Naval career, it left me with issues that the VA would rather medicate with pills. However, instead I choose to go off and seek adventure and solace as a means to cope, heal, and grow. Doing so has benefited my well-being; making me a better husband, father, friend, employee, and volunteer. This "outdoor adjunct therapy" that I've discovered compels me to mentor others from the military to do the same.

This last fall I was given the chance to do just this for a fiery young member of the Air Force. After months of preparation and Microsoft Teams meetings, we finally met at the Armed Force Initiative's priority landscape event in the sage covered hills of Wyoming. This 48-year-old Vet shed the weight of the world and showed a newcomer the awe-inspiring short grass prairie of the American west. My love for that place must have been contagious, as I often saw my mentee in a constant state of wonder as we took in the sights and smells of a landscape that transcends time. In the background, I was silently planning a trip to this very location in the future with my daughters. The Cowboy State's natural beauty has always impressed me, but over the course of that trip, it left a lasting mark on my soul.

Last night as I prepared for bed, I received a text from a friend with a link to the ARC/GIS map detailing the lands my federal government is looking to sell off. Knowing that what I may find could possibly upset me, I chose to sleep on it to tackle things the next day. Boy, am I glad that I did! That map plainly identified an obscure orange square in some far-off place—a spot which I was positive that I had taken my new friend in search of adventure and nature's "good medicine". Just to be certain, I compared that orange square to pins saved on my onX from that trip. Lo and behold, we had walked together on that very ground only 8 months ago.

Confused and angry, I could only question why the very country in which I wrote a blank check payable by my life for over two decades would do this. I served to defend American ideals. Public land is now one of the most important of those ideals to me as a Vet assimilating back into society. But why sell this place? What is the real purpose? To alleviate debt? Affordable housing? Neither of which would really come from this remote location. The potential value gained from a private buyer will undoubtedly be less than what that place means to me and my newfound friend. A place that one day, God willing, I could take my grandkids and show them one of those fantastic sunsets over the Bighorn mountains.

In a country with arguably some of the greatest minds, I can only assume there has to be a better way than to sell off all this loved public land. I can assure you that taking this from me, my family, and all Americans is not the answer. To those that want to take it, come and try to! But be warned that you will have to come through me to do so. And I am fighting as someone who has a whole lot more to lose than you to gain.

These stories aren’t unique. They are a reflection of the deep, lasting relationship between our veterans and America’s public lands. While BHA and our allies have helped stave off one immediate threat, the fight is far from over. As long as politicians continue to draft legislation that threatens the wild places that heal and unite us, we must remain alert, engaged, and unrelenting.

These lands belong to all of us. Let’s make sure they stay that way. Continue to stay vigilant and engaged, encourage your friends, family, & neighbors to Join BHA, and continue to contact your legislators and tell them: Our Public Lands Are Not For Sale!

Bryan JonesBryan Jones

Armed Forces & Stewardship Programs Manager

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