1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I am deeply worried about some of the proposed legislation in the draft reconciliation text released by the House Natural Resources committee. I also saw that the committee introduced and passed public land sell offs in the middle of the night, as a way to pay for tax cuts. Public lands are vital to our health, environment, and economy. They provide clean air and water, habitat, climate protections, and support a $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy that sustains nearly 5 million American jobs. I’m especially concerned that the proposed bill undermines environmental safeguards, weakens public participation, and cuts resources for land management at a time when public demand is growing and climate impacts are accelerating. This bill prioritizes short-term extraction at the expense of long-term public benefit (and maybe even at the expense of short-term revenue). As your constituent, I urge you to stand strong for conservation, public engagement, and climate-smart investments in our public lands and waters. Thank you for your leadership.