Senate Votes To Help States Sell Off Public Lands

The new chair of the powerful Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee secured a vote Thursday afternoon in the U.S. Senate on a controversial proposal to sell off America’s national forests and other public lands.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) amendment, which passed by a vote of 51 to 49, is now part of the Senate’s nonbinding budget resolution. The proposal would support and fund state efforts — which many argue are unconstitutional — to seize and sell America’s public lands. These include all national forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, historic sites, and national monuments.

Murkowski’s amendment, which would need further legislation to become law, follows a similar proposal from House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-UT) to spend $50 million of taxpayer dollars to fund the sale or transfer of U.S. public lands to states.

LINK (via: Think Progress)

The solution is to vote the poiticians who support selling off our public lands out of office. The hunting and fishing organizations who advocate on behalf of public lands should start urging their constituencies to vote for candidates who support our public lands.

For reference, all 51 votes in favor of Murkowski's non-binding amendment were cast by Republicans.