BHA Unveils Map Highlighting Hunter-Angler Impacts as Senate Pushes Public Land Selloff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

June 19, 2025 

CONTACT: 

media@backcountryhunters.org 

MISSOULA, Mont.—Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) today released an interactive state-by-state ArcGIS Story Map pinpointing Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service parcels eligible for sale in the latest draft of the Senate budget reconciliation bill. But this is no ordinary map: as part of BHA’s ongoing United We Stand for Public Lands campaign, the tool pairs policy with personal stories—photos and impact statements from hunters and anglers whose cherished memories and traditions are rooted in these very places. 

The map launch comes as the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee—chaired by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)—advances budget reconciliation language mandating the sale of upwards of 3 million acres of public lands across 11 Western states. The proposal not only mirrors the House measure BHA helped defeat in May—it expands it dramatically. 

“Momentum is on our side, but victory will require every single one of us,” said Nadia Marji, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for BHA. “Every call, every message, every dollar, every voice—each one matters. This is our moment to stand united, Flood the Lines, and make it unmistakably clear that our public lands and waters are not for sale.” 

“Flood the Lines” Day 

In response to the looming threat, BHA is organizing a nationwide mobilization on Wednesday, June 25, called “Flood the Lines.” The goal: generate 25,000 calls and messages to U.S. Senators in a single day. To learn more, visit HERE. 

For supporters who’ve already taken action to contact their elected officials and ask, “What else can I do?” Marji’s answer is simple. 

“Do it again—call again, send another email, share impact stories across social media, engage your friends and family who may not be aware... Keep going until we win.” 

More Than Land at Stake 

The Senate’s proposal sidesteps public input and the process for selling public lands established by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act nearly 50 years ago. It also bypasses the bipartisan Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA), which ensures that proceeds from public land sales are reinvested in conservation and public access.  

Beyond the unprecedented selloff, the legislation includes multiple rollbacks BHA strongly opposes:  

• Reversing protections that blocked construction of the private 211-mile Ambler Road through Alaska’s Brooks Range—threatening the Western Arctic Caribou Herd and one of the greatest wildlife migrations in North America;  

• Mandating new oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;  

• Eliminating critical reforms that curtailed speculative, noncompetitive oil and gas leasing on public lands.  

BHA is calling on Congress to reject these provisions and urges its members and supporters across the nation to contact their elected officials, utilizing  BHA’s dedicated Action Center here.

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. 

About Nadia Marji

Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers