Public Lands Under Attack

I love public lands.

No private leases. No outfitter fees. No exclusive clubs. Just me, a bow, and millions of acres that belong to every American.

That access is under attack. And if you care about hunting, backpacking, fishing, or simply having wild places to explore, you need to pay attention.

What Happened in 2025

In June 2025, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) pushed a proposal to sell between 2.2 and 3.3 million acres of federally owned land across 11 Western states. The plan was buried inside the massive Republican tax package—the "One Big Beautiful Bill"—where it could pass without standalone scrutiny.

The Senate parliamentarian ruled the proposal violated Senate rules. Lee revised it. Then, after facing backlash from an unusual coalition—Democrats, Republicans, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor industry—he pulled the provision entirely.

But here is the thing: he did not give up. He said he "continues to believe the federal government owns too much land" and would keep working with the administration to "put underutilized federal land to work."

In December 2025, Lee proposed another amendment that critics said could pave the way for selling national parks. He backed down again after outcry.

This is not a one-time fight. This is a pattern. And the next attempt is coming.

Why This Matters to Every American

Let me be direct about what public lands mean.

For bowhunters: Public lands are the only way most of us can hunt. Private land access costs thousands of dollars per year, if you can get it at all. Public lands let a working-class archer chase whitetail through the same forests that Theodore Roosevelt fought to preserve. I make my own arrows. I burn my own fletchings. I stalk deer on public land because that is the only land I have access to. Take that away, and traditional archery becomes a rich person's hobby.

For ultralight backpackers: These are the places where you can disappear for a week with 12 pounds on your back and see no one. Where you can test your limits against terrain that does not care about your Instagram following. Where adventure still means something.

For anglers, climbers, mountain bikers, and campers: Public lands are your playground. Millions of acres managed for multiple use, not locked behind gates.

For every American: You already own this land. It is held in trust for all of us. Selling it means transferring public wealth to private interests. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

The Housing Excuse Is Bullshit

Lee's stated justification is that selling public lands will solve the West's housing crisis.

ProPublica investigated this claim and found it does not hold up. Past land sales have not led to affordable housing. They have led to speculation, luxury development, and land banking by investors who can outbid families.

Here is the pattern:

1. Sell land at auction
2. Developers and speculators buy it
3. Hold for appreciation or build luxury housing
4. Working families still cannot afford homes
5. Public loses access permanently

The housing crisis is real. The solution is not giving away your birthright to well-connected developers.

Who Actually Benefits

Follow the money.

When federal land becomes available for purchase, who shows up at the auction? Not the young family looking for a quarter acre to build a starter home. Not the bowhunter wanting a few acres to manage for deer.

The buyers are:

• Land developers and homebuilders looking for inventory
• Speculative capital positioned to acquire undervalued parcels
• Energy and mineral interests eyeing resource extraction
• Large agricultural operations consolidating holdings

Lee's original proposal had such weak guardrails that critics warned lands could end up owned by foreign interests or massive corporations. When the parliamentarian forced changes, Lee could not guarantee the lands would go "only to American families—not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests."

So he pulled the provision. Not because he changed his mind. Because he could not deliver on the spin.

The Cross-Partisan Coalition That Stopped It

Here is what is remarkable: the opposition came from everywhere.

Democrats opposed it on conservation grounds. But so did Republican senators from Western states where public land access is a core value. Montana Senator Tim Sheehy, a Republican, said he would vote against moving the bill forward if the public lands provision stayed in.

Conservative hunting and outdoor communities mobilized. This was not just Sierra Club members. This was guys in camo, guys with gun safes, guys who vote Republican and also understand that public lands are the only reason they can afford to hunt.

The Washington Post reported on how conservatives beat back this Republican proposal. That is not something you see every day.

The fault line is not left versus right. It is extractive interests versus access heritage. And for once, access heritage won.

H.R. 718: The Federal Land Freedom Act

The fight is not over. H.R. 718, the Federal Land Freedom Act, is sitting in Congress right now.

This bill would require the Bureau of Land Management to sell "excess" federal lands. The definition of excess is where the game gets played. Reclassify land as excess, and suddenly it is on the auction block.

Watch this bill. Watch what gets attached to must-pass legislation. Watch for riders in appropriations bills. The pattern is clear: when standalone proposals fail, they get buried in larger vehicles where they face less scrutiny.

What You Can Do

First, understand that this is your fight. Not just if you are a hunter. Not just if you are an environmentalist. If you are an American who believes some things should not be for sale.

Stay informed. The Public Lands Foundation tracks these issues and advocates for keeping public lands in public hands. They are former Bureau of Land Management professionals who understand how this works.

Contact your representatives. Especially if you are in a Western state. Especially if you are a Republican voter who hunts or recreates on public lands. Your voice matters more than you think. Politicians respond to their base.

Support organizations fighting this fight. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Public Lands Foundation—these groups do the work.

Talk to other hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. This is not a partisan issue. It is an access issue. Frame it that way.

The Bigger Picture

I hunt public lands with a longbow. No sights. Just me and whatever woodsmanship I can develop. The hard way.

That kind of hunting is only possible because of public access. Take away the land, and you take away the tradition.

But this is bigger than hunting.

We are living through a moment where everything is up for sale. Every public good is being evaluated for what private interests can extract from it. Healthcare. Education. Infrastructure. And now, the land itself.

At some point, you have to draw a line. You have to say: this belongs to all of us, and it is not for sale.

For me, that line is the forest where I stalk whitetail. The creeks where I search for arrowheads. The trails where I hike with my dogs every day.

That is my line. Where is yours?

The Pattern Will Continue

Mike Lee has been trying to sell public lands for years. He has said this fight will be brutal and long. He is not wrong.

Every time a proposal fails, another one emerges. Appropriations riders. Budget amendments. Administrative rollbacks that do not require legislation but still change who controls and benefits from public land.

The 2025 attempts failed because people paid attention. Because hunters and conservationists found common ground. Because constituents made noise.

That has to keep happening. Every time.

Because the moment we stop paying attention, they will try again. And eventually, they will succeed.

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Get involved with the Public Lands Foundation to stay informed and take action. Track H.R. 718 and contact your representatives. And if you hunt public lands, tell people why it matters. This is not someone else's fight. It is yours.

And if you want to know why a tech guy cares so much about public lands and traditional archery, read Back to the Old Ways. That is where I explain what balance looks like when you stop pretending one part of yourself matters more than the other.