Newest US Senate Land Sale Amendment

I spoke with my circle today and there was a lot of support for this bill from a few. They are my Fox News watchers Pro Trump anything folks. They sent me articles supporting their beliefs. Portland needs housing was one.

I asked a few targeted questions on it and although I didn’t sway them, they did have to think.

Here is a couple.

What time frame does the local government have for the first right of refusal? Does the Secretary have total discretion on that time line? 1 day? 1 year?

How long would it take a local government have to make a master housing plan and get the mileage approved to fund it? Would that be needed to buy it at fair market value?

What level of Local government gets the first right?

If that doesn’t work out, it can be sent to auction at the Secretary’s discretion. What keeps China / foreign nation from buying it thru a shell company?

Why are there no revisions of what happens to the ownership if no building from the plan has been done in 10 years?

Why is there no penalty if they don’t follow through with the housing in the 10 years?

Define affordable housing development for the purpose of this bill. Is a 1.5 mil house affordable?
 

Screen Shot 2025-06-13 at 4.31.20 PM.png

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is steadfast in our long-standing position that public lands stay public and need to be accessible. RMEF is very concerned about the federal land sales provision included in Chairman Mike Lee’s energy and natural resources section of the pending budget reconciliation bill and will continue to work to remove that measure from the legislation. We have shared these concerns with Sen. Lee’s office, and we joined 43 other organizations in expressing the need to keep federal public land sales out of the bill in a letter to Senate leadership a week ago. Our government affairs team was in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with members of Congress and the administration to affirm the importance of increasing access to public hunting lands. Our lobbyists continue to be engaged, and we encourage our members to contact their senators to express their opinions about selling two million acres of BLM and national forest lands across the West. 

RMEF has provided the expertise of their lobbyists in DC to me and my efforts this coming week, as has Trust for Public Lands, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Boone & Crockett with their lobbyists. Those lobbyists are there every day and they have helpful insights as to what the real landscape is, which I add to my own research from my contacts within agencies or committees. They also help me better understand how I can help in ways that may be different than formal orgs/lobbyists.

It is interesting how positive and helpful all of the lobbyists are when they have "folks from back home" coming to DC on issues they lobby for/against. They know that as lobbyists, the staffers and members of Congress sometimes view them as a necessary, but paid opinion; just part of the process. They often emphasize that folks from back home can be more effective on the highest priority issues, as the perspective provided is not coming from the regular Beltway crowd. They help me with my prep, and for the last few visits have not accompanied me on any of the Senate/House visits, thinking it is more effective if I'm there on my own.

I hope they are correct. Next week I have meetings with the Montana senators and staff from other members on the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee, along with some House staffers from House members on the House Natural Resource Committee.

Not sure what influence all of this ever has, but I'm willing to give it my best.
 

View attachment 374821



RMEF has provided the expertise of their lobbyists in DC to me and my efforts this coming week, as has Trust for Public Lands, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Boone & Crockett with their lobbyists. Those lobbyists are there every day and they have helpful insights as to what the real landscape is, which I add to my own research from my contacts within agencies or committees. They also help me better understand how I can help in ways that maybe different that how formal orgs/lobbyists.

It is interesting how positive and helpful all of the lobbyists are when they have "folks from back home" coming to DC on issues they lobby for/against. They know that as lobbyists, the staffers and members of Congress sometimes view them as a necessary, but paid opinion; just part of the process. They often emphasize that folks from back home can be more effective on the highest priority issues, as the perspective provided is not coming from the regular Beltway crowd. They help me with my prep, and for the last few visits have not accompanied me on any of the Senate/House visits, thinking it is more effective if I'm there on my own.

I hope they are correct. Next week I have meetings with the Montana senators and staff from other members on the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee, along with some House staffers from House members on the House Natural Resource Committee.

Not sure what influence all of this ever has, but I'm willing to give it my best.
giphy[1].gif
Seriously, We are deeply grateful for your years of effort, now placing you in the thick of our fight to preserve our public land heritage.
 

View attachment 374821



RMEF has provided the expertise of their lobbyists in DC to me and my efforts this coming week, as has Trust for Public Lands, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Boone & Crockett with their lobbyists. Those lobbyists are there every day and they have helpful insights as to what the real landscape is, which I add to my own research from my contacts within agencies or committees. They also help me better understand how I can help in ways that maybe different that how formal orgs/lobbyists.

It is interesting how positive and helpful all of the lobbyists are when they have "folks from back home" coming to DC on issues they lobby for/against. They know that as lobbyists, the staffers and members of Congress sometimes view them as a necessary, but paid opinion; just part of the process. They often emphasize that folks from back home can be more effective on the highest priority issues, as the perspective provided is not coming from the regular Beltway crowd. They help me with my prep, and for the last few visits have not accompanied me on any of the Senate/House visits, thinking it is more effective if I'm there on my own.

I hope they are correct. Next week I have meetings with the Montana senators and staff from other members on the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee, along with some House staffers from House members on the House Natural Resource Committee.

Not sure what influence all of this ever has, but I'm willing to give it my best.
There is no one that I would rather have on my side than Randy Newberg. Give em hell!
 
I’m in. If every hunter and angler would follow his lead it would be overwhelming for these dumbphuks.
I'm not so sure about that given our hunting demographic only represents about 5% or less of the population and for fishing its about 18%. This is why it's such an uphill battle and it's never ending. And although there are many more people that use these lands, these two user groups are by far the most passionate to take action it seems. Heck we voted to tax ourselves numerous times over the course of history
 
If you do FB or IG, Wild Sheep Foundation came out with this one today. They are also pounding Lee.

Screen Shot 2025-06-13 at 8.32.20 PM.png

Screen Shot 2025-06-13 at 8.32.33 PM.png

 
I spoke with my circle today and there was a lot of support for this bill from a few. They are my Fox News watchers Pro Trump anything folks.

Note: it's an amendment. Not the entire bill. If you had been paying attention, none of the news sources are covering the topic. I think that's a strategy by those in favor of the amendment.

Not all Trump supporters are for the Amendment just like not all anti-Trumpers are against it. Pretending that is true makes it obvious you think you have the high ground. You don't.

Fwiw, most of the news coverage has been Israel/Iran today/last night.
 
I'm not so sure about that given our hunting demographic only represents about 5% or less of the population and for fishing its about 18%. This is why it's such an uphill battle and it's never ending. And although there are many more people that use these lands, these two user groups are by far the most passionate to take action it seems. Heck we voted to tax ourselves numerous times over the course of history
Maybe so, but the analogy I’ve always heard is for every one person that calls, they expect at least 100 others to have the same viewpoint. Keep the calls coming.
 
I'm not so sure about that given our hunting demographic only represents about 5% or less of the population and for fishing its about 18%. This is why it's such an uphill battle and it's never ending. And although there are many more people that use these lands, these two user groups are by far the most passionate to take action it seems. Heck we voted to tax ourselves numerous times over the course of history
And on top of that, this isn’t even remotely close to just a hunter and angler thing. Hikers, mtn bikers, bird watchers, campers, climbers, etc all need to be flooding the phone lines.
 
Interesting to note that nowhere in the bill does anything refer to 'affordable housing.' Anyone have an idea of what specific lands they are looking at?
Wyoming Wildlife Federation has a map quite interesting once you zoom down. I've recreated on many of those lands over the years.

 
I sent personal emails to my senators, Senator Lee respectfully telling him my disappointment, and the NRA to boot since they appear to be silent on the issue. Since my senators are liberal democrats, I focused more on my enjoyment of public lands as a hiker. I didn't mention I am usually carrying a rifle when I hike. Figured that approach may get more traction. I am considering contacting the President and Republican national party as well. Thanks for the heads up.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
117,379
Messages
2,155,302
Members
38,201
Latest member
3wcoupe
Back
Top