CLF Joins Senate Roundtable Conversation on Public Lands Protections

Washington, DC - Today Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) Chief Conservation Officer Jocelyn Torres joined a group of public officials and public lands advocates for a “roundtable conversation” in the U.S. Senate on congressional plans to sell vast tracts of public lands. Convened by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), this conversation also included representatives from American Hunters & Anglers, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

The conversation was focused on recent and ongoing attempts by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and other congressional leaders to include a provision in the budget reconciliation bill mandating the sale of millions of acres of public lands across the West to the highest bidder. While the latest attempt to include this provision in the bill has been blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian, these efforts to take public lands out of public hands continue. Many of these public lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the nation’s public lands administrator, which manages 245 million acres of land for the benefit of the public.

The Conservation Lands Foundation represents a national network of community advocates who are solely focused on the public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management including the 38 million acres of National Conservation Lands. As the Chief Conservation Officer for the CLF and a resident of Nevada living among these precious public lands, Jocelyn Torres has a lifetime of experience to share. Here are excerpts of what she had to say in her comments at the Roundtable event today:

“I’ve already learned firsthand what it means when one of your favorite outdoor places is sold off. One of the places where we had spent so many weekends together —where we built countless memories—was sold and turned into an industrial project. We were fenced out and could no longer spend weekends there. That loss was far more than just losing access to one piece of land; it was about losing a piece of our family's story.

“This experience opened my eyes to how quickly we can lose irreplaceable spaces. Many cherished public lands where I grew up —where I'm now teaching my own children the same outdoor traditions my father taught me—are being proposed for sale, including the proposed additions to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area as part of the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. Red Rock Canyon and the surrounding area welcomes more than 3 million visitors annually—families just like mine who depend on these lands for recreation, reflection, and building lasting memories.

“Public lands are an essential part of my life and the lives of so many Americans. And they have value well beyond what can be placed on a balance sheet.

“Indiscriminately selling public lands is shortsighted and hurts the vast majority of Americans who rely on these lands and waters, and is certainly not a solution to solving affordable housing problems in communities like Las Vegas.

“The lack of affordable housing in my community is a serious problem that deserves a well vetted solution. But no one should be fooled that Senator Lee’s proposal is an effective solution. The vast majority of public lands in his proposal are simply unsuitable for housing development. And where land availability may be a factor, communities should participate in careful land management and planning processes at the local, state and federal level to determine not only the appropriate lands but also what the community may be losing by expanding its development footprint.

“I've seen what happens when we lose special places—the fenced-off area where my family used to spend weekends is a constant reminder. But I've also seen what's possible when communities work together thoughtfully.

“History has shown that public lands are best managed when an active community of local people work together. We are here today on behalf of communities across America, to make it clear that public lands and waters are not for sale to benefit a greedy few - they are our children’s. For them, we will not be silent while Senator Lee and other anti-public land politicians attempt to act against the will of the people.”