We’re well into the pages on your wall calendar when life moves outside.
Depending on one’s tastes, that may mean wade-fishing the Roach River for native brook trout, or wiling away an evening on the porch with only the radio as a partner (the Sox are questionable at this point but the rookies look promising, and they make a good summer soundtrack regardless of the standings).
Our days are a little lighter, and we breathe a little freer, when enjoying the wealth of nature outside our doors. And we’d better squeeze every last drop from these months before the chill sweeps in.
Even those of us who aren’t outdoorsy can appreciate time outside, so you might be shocked to learn that some politicians in Washington are trying to make such experiences less accessible. Being a conservative, there’s a lot for me to like in HR 1, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, but there’s nothing beautiful about the “Land Use Sale” portion of this bill, which would allow the government to sell public lands. Although one such proposal was removed from the bill on procedural grounds late Monday night, the larger threat still looms.
The term “public lands” might not mean much to you on its own. East of the Mississippi, where we’ve had a few hundred years’ head start on settling and developing our forests and fields, there’s precious little of the stuff left. We fish, snowmobile and hunt on privately owned paper company land whose owners grant us access for recreational activities.
Out West, it’s a different story. Public land is critical. Without it, there are few recreational spots for folks to enjoy. These places are not only emblems of our great nation, but key to livelihood and quality of life in many communities (just ask my brothers, fishing guides in Montana who pay the bills by careful and conscientious use of waterways overseen for the American people by the Department of the Interior).
To be sure, the precious few federal lands in Maine include some of the finest in the world, including Acadia and Katahdin Woods and Waters. But keeping our great American public lands in public hands, and managed in a balanced way, should be important wherever you live. As Ronald Reagan once noted: “Preservation of our environment is not a liberal or conservative challenge, it’s common sense.”
The idea of selling off our nation’s great natural heritage ought to offend our sense of fairness and dedication to democracy. A precedent could be set, opening the door for Congress to sell public lands whenever it feels like it. If that happens, a fundamental building block of American greatness will have been ground into dust. Once these lands are sold, they are gone. Let’s not sell our public land as a temporary solution to a much bigger Washington spending problem.
As a Republican, and someone who feels our nation is both exceptional and an example to the world, keeping public lands accessible to the people is doubly important. Yes, the pursuit of energy independence is critical but we need to show there’s a way to pursue this while still being good caretakers for our extraordinary natural resources. President Trump said it on the campaign trail himself back in 2016: “This is magnificent land. And we have to be great stewards of this land.”
I call on Sen. Susan Collins and all Republicans to act in that spirit and follow the example of Congressman Ryan Zinke of Montana, the former interior secretary who is leading the opposition to the sale of public lands. Please keep the sale of public lands out of the bill.