1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I hate almost everything about the budget bill, but I am most terrified and upset right now about the extensive public lands that will be forced for sale if it passes. I live twenty yards from the Coconino National Forest. I live here precisely so I can immediately hike from my home, or snow shoe when the snow is deep. I live next to Mt. Elden, which is one of the areas on the chopping block. One of my best friends lives in Mountainnaire, also next to currently protected Forest that is on the chopping block. We don't want to live by huge developments or swaths of logged land. We want to live next to the protected federal lands we deliberately purchased homes next to. It is unconscionable to let those who don't care about beautiful, protected, federal land decide to sell it for development. These land sales will not improve housong options. We have tons of homes in my neighborhood that sit empty year round. They are second homes, or third homes, for people who do not live here. They are air bnbs for people making money and not contributing to the community (and not shoveling sidewalks). Let's change policies so more people use the homes they own to actually live in them, NOT by destroying forests and selling federal lands off to destroy the open beauty of the West.