By Micah Drew DAILY MONTANAN
The Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, which was co-founded by Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke and New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez in May, made its first official endorsement of a bill.
Zinke’s introduced his Public Lands in Public Hands Act in 2024 and reintroduced it for the current congress early this year.
The bill is aimed at keeping public lands under the management of public agencies and prevent the selloff of land — a major flashpoint during budget discussions in Washington this year that led to the formation of the bipartisan caucus.
According to the bill’s text, it would ban the sale or transfer of most public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service except under specific conditions and where required under previous laws. Transferring publicly accessible federal land tracts over 300 acres and for public land tracts over 5 acres accessible via a public waterway would require congressional approval.
Zinke did not respond to a request for comment on the caucus’ endorsement of his bill by publication. However, when he introduced the bill, he said conservation bills are a critical part of the Montana way of life that ensure the ability to pass that on to future generations.
In a press release put out by Rep. Vasquez, the Caucus emphasized that “Public lands power rural outdoor economies, support cultural traditions, and strengthen communities.”
“Like so many New Mexicans, I grew up hunting, fishing, and camping on public lands. Those experiences shaped who I am today,” Vasquez said. “These lands don’t belong to one party or to a handful of wealthy interests—they belong to all of us. This endorsement is a meaningful step as the Public Lands Caucus works to ensure our lands stay in public hands for generations to come.”
