Senate Amendment Could Open the Door to Transferring National Parks

This week, the Senate is working towards passing the Interior appropriations bill, which funds public lands and waters. As part of this process, Senate lawmakers are expected to vote an amendment from Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) that would open the door to transferring or selling off National Parks.

Outdoor Alliance opposes Senator Lee’s Amendment #3972 to the Interior Appropriations bill, which would remove commonsense language ensuring that National Park units, National Trails, and Wild & Scenic Rivers remain public. These protections were included in response to proposals in the FY26 President’s Budget that could open the door to transferring management of iconic public lands away from their current stewardship—an outcome the outdoor recreation community strongly opposes.

“Keeping public lands public is a core value shared by millions of outdoor recreationists across the country,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “We oppose any effort to open the door to transfer, sell off, or give away National Parks as well as National Forests and BLM lands, at scale. These Parks, trails, and Wild & Scenic Rivers belong to the American people, and we encourage lawmakers to reject efforts, including Amendment 3972 to the Interior Appropriations bill, that could lead to giving away National Parks or other public lands.”

Outdoor Alliance has been working to ensure that Congress passes appropriations bills to fully fund the government. Sometime before January 30th, but possibly as soon as this week, the Senate may vote on the Interior appropriations bill (one of 12 appropriations bills that has to pass to fund the government). Interior appropriations includes Section 130, which seeks to keep public lands and National Parks in public hands.

Senator Mike Lee, whose proposals earlier this summer to sell off up to 3.3 million acres of public lands were roundly rejected, has offered an amendment that would strike Section 130, opening up the possibility for National Park units (and other public lands) to be sold off, transferred, or given away.

The outdoor community resoundingly opposes efforts to sell off public lands and waters, and we strongly support Section 130 as well as other bipartisan efforts to keep public lands public.

Public outreach has been critical in encouraging lawmakers to stand up for public lands and waters. It’s especially important for Senators to know that their constituents want to save public lands. Take one minute to write your lawmakers today and tell them to reject any efforts to sell off public lands and waters: