Published in collaboration with the Mountaineers

Almost a year ago, the outdoor community rallied together to defeat Congress’ proposal to sell federal public lands as part of budget reconciliation. At one point, nearly four million acres of Washington’s national forests and BLM lands were at risk of being sold off for development. But grassroots advocacy from outdoor enthusiasts like you moved key lawmakers, including Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), to play a leading role in defeating the proposal.

An important part of advocacy is thanking lawmakers when they listen to the voice of their constituents. . Last week, The Mountaineers and our Outdoor Alliance Washington partners joined public lands stakeholders from central Washington at Varietal Beer Co. in Sunnyside, WA to share our appreciation with Rep. Newhouse for standing against public land sales last year. Gathering together provided the opportunity for groups representing outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, mountain biking, paddling, motorized recreation, horseback riding, as well as a representative from the outdoor business community to share our gratitude and continue to elevate the importance of protected public lands.

Thanking Rep. Newhouse for Championing Public Lands and Recreation

Betsy Robblee, Conservation Director at the Mountaineers

We opened the meeting by raising a glass to Rep. Newhouse’s support of public lands and the district’s cherished outdoor opportunities, such as paddling the Tieton and Yakima rivers, climbing the Royal Columns near Tieton, and hiking and mountain biking on trails that traverse unique and diverse landscapes in the Methow Valley and across the district.

Rep. Newhouse is a founding member of the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus and previously chaired the Congressional Western Caucus - which emphasizes natural resources issues. He publicly opposed public land sell-offs through budget reconciliation last summer, and was one of five Republicans in the House that wrote a letter to House leadership saying that he would vote against a bill that contained large-scale public land sell offs . This manuever helped make the sell-offs provision untenable and resulted in its removal from the final version of the reconciliation bill. Rep. Newhouse shared that widespread sale of public lands to private interests didn’t make sense to him on multiple levels.

We were joined by local representatives of Washington Trails Association, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Washington Climbers Coalition, Backcountry Horseman of Washington, Northwest Motorcycle Association, the Cascadians, and Wildwater River Guides. These groups connect outdoor enthusiasts to Washington’s public lands through recreation and stewardship. For instance, last year, Washington Trails Association held 29 trail projects in the district that provided $150,000 in volunteer stewardship labor. Throughout the meeting, representatives from each group shared about their activities and positive impact on public lands in the 4th district. We also heard moving personal reflections on the power of public lands from Yakima and the Tri-Cities to East Wenatchee and the Methow Valley.

All of our recreational activities depend on public lands and waters. “Our public lands support a diverse array of users, including those of us that connect to the outdoors on horseback,” shared Kathy Young of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington. “I’m grateful to Rep. Newhouse for opposing public lands sales through budget reconciliation so that future generations can experience the mountains, canyons, and valleys of Washington state.”

Keeping Public Lands in Public Hands

Rep. Newhouse appreciated the opportunity to engage with us and hear our stories about the importance of public lands and sustainable outdoor access. “I enjoyed meeting with the Outdoor Alliance and appreciate their efforts to ensure public lands remain in public hands,” shared Rep. Newhouse. “Conservation, resource development, and recreation all go hand-in-hand, and each provides benefits to local communities here in Central Washington.”

Kathy Young of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, alongside other public lands stakeholders

We discussed how public lands sales are likely to show up again, and he provided advice about key lawmakers to engage with should the opportunity present itself. forward. We’ll continue to work through Outdoor Alliance Washington to urge Congress to oppose future efforts to sell off federal public lands through budget reconciliation or other means.

Since we defeated public lands sales, new and emerging threats like the rescission of the Roadless Rule and ongoing cuts at land management agencies continue to challenge sustainable outdoor access and stewardship on our federal public lands. Rep. Newhouse used the meeting as an opportunity to learn more about our support for the Roadless Rule and shared that he’ll be engaging in Congress’ oversight of the reorganization of the Forest Service. Outdoor Alliance Washington will continue to activate supporters around both these issues through advocacy this year.

Our work to build diverse coalitions of public lands stakeholders and cultivate public lands champions in Congress will become increasingly vital to protecting public lands in Washington state and across the country. We thank Rep. Newhouse for enduring support of Washington’s lands and waters and the communities that depend on them.

OA Washington Trip Report: Thanking Rep. Newhouse for Protecting Public Lands