Subject: Don't sell off our public lands
Dear Senator,
I am writing to urge you to oppose attempts to sell off public lands in reconciliation.
Proposals to sell off public lands won't solve the affordable housing crisis or balance the federal budget, but they WILL result in significant harm to the wildlife, people, and communities that depend on those lands.
Under current laws and regulations, we already have ways to properly assess which lands can be swapped or used for housing. We also have a long history of co-stewardship with ranchers, energy companies, and foresters to tap into the potential of public lands without selling them. Please don't break a system that has worked for decades for rural communities and all Americans.
Public lands are places of refuge, recreation, and inspiration. Their beauty and cultural significance cannot be replicated. Public lands foster a sense of connection to the natural world and provide generations of American families the opportunity to experience nature. Public lands also contain ancestral homelands, sacred sites, and cultural landmarks that are important to Indigenous communities.
Hastily-conceived proposals to sell off public lands to balance the budget don't make fiscal sense. Rural communities rely on outdoor recreation on public lands to fuel their economies. In fact, the outdoor recreation industry generates more than $1 trillion annually and supports more than 7.6 million jobs.
Please stand up for wildlife, outdoor recreation, and for Indigenous and rural communities. Oppose efforts to sell off public lands. Public lands are a national treasure – and once they're gone, they're gone forever.
Sincerely,
[Name]
