The Conservation Lands Foundation Urges Senators to Oppose Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act
Manager’s amendment added over the weekend fails to address fundamental issues that would decimate core cultural and environmental safeguards.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 9, 2026
Contact:
Kris Deutschman, Conservation Lands Foundation, 505-498-0212;
kris@conservationlands.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the Senate votes today to advance consideration of S.5653 the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, the Conservation Lands Foundation remains opposed to the bill as written and urges members of the Senate to oppose the proposal as it would weaken core cultural resource and environmental safeguards that protect the integrity of the National Conservation Lands — the 38-million-acre system of national monuments, national conservation areas, wilderness, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national trails managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
“This proposed legislation is a snake in the grass. If the proposal were to clear the Senate in its current form, it would result in cursory review of impacts to cultural resources and Tribal cultural values on public lands during environmental review of industrial projects; allow the federal government to rubber stamp destructive projects on landscapes without sufficient analysis of the impacts on wildlife and communities; and remove options for the public to engage in the process,” said
Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation, which represents a nonpartisan, national network of community advocates solely focused on the public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.
“Voters this past week were loud and clear that they are opposed to the countless assaults our public lands have endured during this Congressional session. Members of Congress should be taking voters' feedback and focusing on strengthening safeguards to prevent future attacks instead of widening loopholes to be exploited for private gain. Therefore, the Conservation Lands Foundation continues to oppose S. 5653 in its current form and urges Congress not to advance it without removing or fundamentally revising the Historic Preservation title and several other sections which weaken meaningful Tribal cultural resource consultation, science-based environmental review, and endangered species safeguards for the National Conservation Lands,” said Hill.
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