Mountain Mamas Thanks Colorado and Montana Senators for Standing Up for Public Lands

Denver, CO – Last week, Senator John Hickenlooper introduced an amendment that would prevent the sale of public lands from being included in the upcoming federal budget package. The amendment received bipartisan support in a Senate vote on Friday evening, with Montana’s two Republican senators voting for it, but failed to pass the Senate 48-51. 

As reported earlier this week by E&E News, congressional Republicans are seeking to include the sale of federal lands as an offset to pay for the permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts. These tax cuts, where the vast majority of the benefits go to the richest Americans, were set to expire this year and Congressional Republicans are working on a budget package to find trillions of dollars of funding for the permanent extension of this tax cut for billionaires. 

“We are grateful for Senator Hickenlooper and Senator Bennet’s leadership in standing up to protect Colorado’s cherished public lands so that future generations can continue to play, recreate and learn in these wild spaces”, said Sara Kuntzler, Colorado State Director. “According to recent polling, 72% of voters in the west oppose removing protections for public lands. We’re calling on Congress to oppose any effort to sell them off to the highest bidder all for a tax break for the richest people in this country.”

“We extend our thanks to Sen. Daines and Sen. Sheehy for hearing the voices of Montanans who are saying that our public lands matter and voting in favor of this amendment. In Montana, public lands are something that unifies us. They are part of our way of life. We are encouraged that our Montana senators recognize this,” Montana State Director Erin Benedict said. 

Public lands have been under attack since President Trump took office. The administration has rolled back protection for national monuments, proposed increased leasing for oil and gas on public lands, and fired thousands of federal employees that help families enjoy these lands, right before the busy summer season. Families in Colorado and Montana, and indeed our state economies, count on our public lands for our quality of life. We urge Congress to protect these lands to ensure a healthy climate and allow generations of families to enjoy these wild spaces that are so unique to our country.

Mountain Mamas protects our air, water, land and climate to ensure a healthy planet for future generations.