Oppose Transferring Federal Public Lands

ESWA maintains that our national public lands - including our invaluable Wilderness Areas - belong to all Americans. Transferring public lands would result in increased industrial development, real estate development, and privatization.

The US House of Representatives recently changed its rules to remove barriers for transferring federally owned lands to state, local, or tribal governments.

The State of Utah’s recent lawsuit seeking control of 18.5 million acres of public land had implications that threaten all federal public lands. Fortunately the Supreme Court refused to hear the case - even though elected officials in 14 states had filed four legal briefs in support of Utah’s lawsuit. The fight to keep our federal lands in federal hands is far from over.

What You Can Do

Write or call your state governor and your federal Congressperson and Senators - tell them you oppose the transfer of our national public lands.   

Additional resources:

1. US House Rule change to facilitate transfer of federal lands: In Resolution 5 (H. Res. 5), modifying procedural rules for how the House will process legislative activity for the next two years, see (Sec 3c2).

2. Colorado Senate Joint Resolution 25-009 CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF COLORADO PUBLIC LANDS 

3. Senator John Hickenlooper Vail Daily  4/16/25: “Some things just shouldn’t be for sale and selling our public lands, which is one of the greatest assets we have as a country, is unthinkable”.