Let's Not Make it Harder to Protect Public Lands

Americans have a legacy of protecting the outdoors. Keeping trails open, protecting habitat, and preserving wilderness is difficult work—but it’s worth it. Let’s not make it more difficult.

Senator Fischer (R-NE) proposed an amendment to the Keystone XL bill that will make it more difficult to protect the outdoors. The amendment would impede the process of protecting public lands. It would require that additional protections clear needless bureaucratic hurdles, including reports on how new designations would impact current federally-protected land and how these new places would be managed. Essentially, this would create impasses for how public lands are designated and managed.

Outdoor Alliance protects the outdoors by forging consensus among stakeholders to ensure that multiple uses are balanced. The outdoor industry is responsible for 6 million jobs and generates $646 billion in spending. This significant contribution to the national economy depends on our continued protection of the outdoors. Let’s not make it harder to protect the places we love to recreate.