1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose Senator Mike Lee's Amendment #3972 to S.2431, the Interior appropriations bill. This amendment would remove critical protections that prevent the sale of national parks, national historic trails, and wild and scenic rivers. Amendment #3972 would strike Section 130 from the Interior appropriations bill, which currently requires the Department of the Interior to maintain ownership and operation of all existing National Park Service units as of May 2, 2025. Without this protection, the door opens for national parks to be sold to private interests rather than preserved for future generations of Americans. This amendment appears designed to enable Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's recent suggestion that the Park Service does not need many smaller sites currently owned by all Americans. President Trump's 2026 budget proposal contained funding for only a fraction of the national park system and could have led to the elimination of more than 300 national park units, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. Amendment #3972 would give a green light to this dismantling of our public lands heritage. The economic consequences for Utah would be severe. National parks contribute at least $3 billion annually to Utah's economy. Selling off these lands would devastate tourism-dependent communities and eliminate jobs across the state. These parks belong to all Americans and generate substantial economic activity that benefits local businesses, from hotels to restaurants to outdoor recreation companies. National parks are a legacy we must pass to future generations, not assets to liquidate for short-term gain. I strongly urge you to vote against Amendment #3972 and to support Section 130 of S.2431 as written. Our public lands must remain in public hands, operated by the National Park Service for the benefit of all Americans.