For Immediate Release: Monday, April 7, 2025
Contact:
John Robison, Public Lands and Wildlife Director, Idaho Conservation League, (208) 345-6933 x 213
Abby Urbanek, Communications and Marketing Manager, Idaho Conservation League, (208) 345-6933 x 214
Idaho Conservation League Expresses Disappointment in Senators Risch and Crapo for Opposing Amendment to Protect Public Lands
Boise, ID — The Idaho Conservation League (ICL) expressed deep disappointment today in Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo for voting in favor of selling public lands as an option to provide for tax breaks for billionaires and corporations, among other provisions. Both Senators voted against a critical amendment during the recent Senate budget reconciliation process that would have prohibited the sale or transfer of America’s public lands.
The amendment, introduced to ensure that federally owned lands could not be sold off to reduce the federal deficit, failed in a 48-51 vote. Even though both Republican Senators from Montana (Daines and Sheehy) voted to support the amendment, Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo opposed it. Had Risch and Crapo supported the amendment, public lands sell-offs would have been off the table. This vote is especially troubling for Idahoans, who overwhelmingly value public lands for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and countless other outdoor traditions that are woven into the fabric of life in the Gem State.
“Public lands are not just lines on a map—they are the heart and soul of Idaho,” said John Robison, Public Lands and Wildlife Director of the Idaho Conservation League. “They provide world-class recreation, vital wildlife habitat, and a way of life that defines who we are. Our Senators’ failure to support this amendment essentially puts our public lands on the chopping block. By not standing up to protect our Public Lands, Risch and Crapo are opening the door for these lands to be sold to the highest bidder and for “No Trespassing” signs to go up across Idaho.”
More than 60% of Idaho is public land, and these lands are central to the state’s economy, supporting outdoor recreation jobs and local communities while preserving Idaho’s natural heritage. Idahoans expect our elected officials to stand up for our public lands, not to privatize them. Selling these lands off to private interests would irreparably damage the state’s ecology, culture, and economy.
With the defeat of this amendment in the Senate, ICL is urging House members Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher to oppose the inclusion of public lands sell-offs in the final budget package and demand that they keep large-scale public lands sales out of all future legislation.
ICL is also urging Idaho’s congressional delegation to take immediate action to protect public lands by cosponsoring the Public Lands in Public Hands Act—a bipartisan bill recently introduced in the House of Representatives that would permanently prohibit the sale or transfer of most public lands and require congressional oversight for any exceptions.
“This legislation is the clearest path forward to ensure that our public lands stay public,” Robison added. “We call on all of Idaho’s members of Congress to cosponsor the Public Lands in Public Hands Act and show the people of Idaho that they’re committed to protecting the places we love.”
###
ICL’s mission is to create a conservation community and pragmatic, enduring solutions that protect and restore the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the land and wildlife you love.