Message from Dem Leaders: We Got More Than A Public Land Victory in the Budget Bill

Protests building, Republicans scared, and advocacy finding its footing

Last Friday, two all-star congressional land defenders spoke passionately to a crowd of their constituents about the fight to safeguard our public lands. At New Mexico’s Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Melanie Stansbury took time to celebrate the work of activists who helped to defend our national parks and forests against GOP attempts to diminish them in their budget last month.

As a background, Sen. Heinrich led the push in June to call out Sen. Mike Lee’s underhanded bill provisions for the sale of public land. He held round tables, issued press releases, and sounded alarms as new threats to public land cropped up in bill proposals.

“In one fell swoop, these proposals threaten every form of outdoor recreation, every form of natural and cultural heritage and habitat for wildlife. All to pay for a tax handout. That doesn’t sound very American to me.”

On Friday, he recognized the hard-fought victory against Republicans in getting those provisions out of the final bill. Sen. Heinrich praised advocates across the country who stepped up and spoke out against federal land sales, speaking to their pivotal role in stopping the bill provision in its tracks.

At the same time, he made it clear that there was still work to be done, and that our opponents are looking for any opportunity to try their land steal again.

“Now we need to take this incredible coalition that we have built, and we need to do things like defend the Land and Water Conservation Fund. You can count on your congressional delegation to be at the tip of the spear when we do that.”

Rep. Stansbury echoed these thoughts, adding some personal reflection on the organized resistance to sell out our national parks and forests.

“Though we were big players in that fight, you did this. I want to start out by saying thank you to all of you, whether you’re advocates, citizens, members of the community who raised your voice, posted a video, told your story, made a call, asked one of us to fight. Whatever it was you did, it worked.”

Rep. Stansbury called this the “fight of our generation”, making it clear that everyone is a valuable part of the battle. She talked about allies and organizing in the House and Senate. She talked about Republicans feeling the pressure from their constituents’ calls and emails. And she talked about the federal workforce showing up to safeguard the land, even when they aren’t given the support necessary to do so.

“We have a long road ahead. I know for a lot of us, to imagine another three and a half years of this is not only exhausting, but feels hopeless. And so when you think about the unimaginable path ahead for the next three and a half years, I want you to also be thinking about the movements that were born out of those dark times.

Because when we are back, when we take back the House next year, when we take back the presidency in 2029, we are going to birth the most progressive American movement in conservation and social justice this country has ever seen. And you all are going to be the architects and the troops to make it happen.”

As our country’s skies darken, it becomes more and more difficult to see what’s going on in the land that we love. We need to light a clear path forward.

Part of that is knowing which leaders to depend on for information about the ways in which our public parks and forests are being attacked. People like Sen. Heinrich and Rep. Stansbury are on high alert, ready to jump on any legislation that tries to harm our federal lands. They are two among many at every level of government who, despite the multitude of distractions, understand the importance of environmental issues and how they impact people.

While they have access to what’s going on at the federal level, they are limited in their knowledge of what’s happening on the ground. We keep elected officials, like these New Mexicans, as part of a running list of who to contact when we have information that they can use when they partner with coalitions and advocacy groups. I loved this event because its primary purpose was for elected officials to connect with people who had loudly protested the sale of public lands.

These high-ranking politicians know the importance of meeting grassroots movements to find a collectively defiant power. And they want us to understand it the way they do.

I hope that you, like me, take heart in knowing we are all a vital part of the effort to stop those who would rob us of our natural heritage, our beautiful awe-inspiring lands. We are making a difference, and Republicans are feeling the force of our protest.

With love and hope for the future,

Stephanie

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Which leaders do you rely on for their staunch protection of the environment?

In what ways do you see their legislative efforts aligning with your protest and advocacy (or vice versa)?

For more:

Watch Rep. Stansbury’s comments here.

Watch Heinrich’s June 26 Our Public Lands Are Not for Sale round table here.