BREAKING: A major threat to public lands has been removed from the federal budget. A proposal to sell off approximately 500,000 acres of public land in Nevada and Utah was struck from the House budget bill thanks to strong advocacy from business leaders and bipartisan support in Congress. As our Executive Director Paul Hendricks shared: “Our nation’s public lands are critical for the $1.2 trillion outdoor economy and support 5 million American jobs. Selling them would have been an unprecedented and unsustainable solution to reduce federal spending.” While the budget reconciliation bill, now headed over to the Senate, still includes harmful attacks on conservation priorities and bedrock environmental laws, we want to thank Congressional champions from both sides of the aisle in the House of Representatives who stood up for public lands, including the members of the House Public Lands Caucus and its founders Representative Vasquez and Representative Zinke. This is a significant win, but we’re not done. We’ll continue working to ensure public lands remain protected for generations to come. Read more about this policy update here: (fb)

Good news for Colorado! Two major conservation bills in the state were just reintroduced in Congress, both tied to efforts TCA has supported on the ground. Each bill has been drafted with great care and consideration of diverse stakeholders, including tribes, small business owners, local residents, ranchers, and others. TCA has spent time in the field with Colorado members advocating for both bills and our organization and membership are excited to celebrate these two reintroductions! The Dolores River Bill would designate nearly 70,000 acres as a National Conservation Area and Special Management Area. This bill, introduced by @SenatorBennet and @SenatorHickenlooper, aims to preserve important cultural antiquities, critical fish and wildlife habitat, providing resources for increased visitation, and protect recreation access in Southwest Colorado. TCA has been advocating for permanent protections in this alongside our partners and our grantee, @doloresriverboating for many years. The GORP Act, introduced by @senatorbennet and @senatorhick in the Senate and @repjeffhurd in the House, would protect over 450,000 acres in the Gunnison Basin, conserving important wildlife habitat, safeguarding water resources, and supporting local ranching, economic development, and outdoor recreation. TCA has supported this effort for years through a broad coalition and our on the ground partners for several years. (fb)