A new bipartisan caucus focused on preserving public lands was announced on Capitol Hill Wednesday with a goal of fencing off millions of acres from a GOP-backed sell-off or overdevelopment.
The “Public Lands Caucus” was created with the worthy hope of letting the public continue to hunt, fish, and romp freely on government lands.
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But it also comes as the GOP looks to those same lands to sell to pay for its budget, and the Trump administration wants to mine for new energy sources.
The new caucus was announced by co-chairs Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), the Interior Department secretary in President Donald Trump’s first term, and Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM). It includes Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), whose late husband authored the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act that preserved public access to federal lands, and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees Interior.
Today, I announced the first-ever bipartisan Public Lands Caucus. Growing up fishing New Mexico's rivers taught me the importance of protecting our lands, waters, and wildlife.
— Rep. Gabe Vasquez (@RepGabeVasquez) May 7, 2025
I'm proud to lead this effort alongside Representative Ryan Zinke to bring both sides of the aisle… pic.twitter.com/KkiwOrIWRS
“Our public lands are not a Republican or a Democrat issue. It’s an American issue, and we should use it in that context of being red, white, and blue,” said Zinke at the outdoor announcement.
“Working with our colleagues, not just in the West but across the nation, we will use this caucus as a platform to discuss future legislation, public lands, resource management, administrative actions, and other issues on which we collectively agree, not as not as Republicans or as Democrats, but as Americans who understand the importance of the value of the special places that we are privileged to represent. This will be a working caucus meant to bring us together that we will grow over the coming months and years,” said Vasquez.
And the bipartisan public lands caucus is launched! Chairs Montana Rep. @RyanZinke and New Mexico Dem Rep. Gabe Vasquez. pic.twitter.com/CoLNPzTCwX
— Heather Swift (@hswift) May 7, 2025
In advance of creating their caucus, Vasquez and Zinke proposed the “Public Lands in Public Hands Act” to stop the sale or transfer of public lands.
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Their efforts have been endorsed by several bipartisan groups eager to block the sale or misuse of federal lands, including Trout Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Sierra Club.
Instead of profiting from land sales, another Caucus member, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), cited the “healing power” of public lands, which presidents dating to Theodore Roosevelt have set aside for public use.