Across the country, we’re seeing increased pressure to develop land for housing as communities grow and demand for real estate rises. While addressing the shortage of affordable housing is important and necessary, some policymakers have proposed a dangerous and irreversible solution: selling off large swaths of public lands. As hunters and anglers, we know this is a short-sighted idea with long-term consequences. 

A new Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing announced by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum would “streamline” the privatization of public lands. This announcement follows the lead of Senator Mike Lee and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo who have championed the sale of public lands for housing development through the HOUSES Act and urged the privatization of 50,000 acres in Nevada. 

Each of these initiatives seeks to advance or reinforce the misguided perception that public land is a commodity to be developed and privatized, rather than a national resource to be conserved for future public use and enjoyment. While housing affordability is a real issue for many Americans, streamlining the sale of irreplaceable public lands is not the solution. 

One of the greatest strengths of our nation is its vast public lands system—millions of acres open to everyone for hunting, fishing, hiking, and exploring. These lands aren’t just empty spaces; they provide habitat for wildlife, clean drinking water, and opportunities for outdoor recreation that fuel local economies. 

Many big game animals and other species rely on large, unfragmented areas of public land, and they depend on migration corridors that allow them to move seasonally between summer and winter ranges. When public lands are permanently converted into subdivisions and housing, we don’t just lose hunting and fishing access, we also stand to lose the remaining vital habitat in low elevation winter range that often surrounds existing communities. More roads, fences, and human activity push big game animals out of traditional ranges in their most vulnerable state, leading to declining populations and increased conflicts between wildlife and people. 

Instead of sacrificing irreplaceable public resources, elected officials should focus on responsible development that prioritizes urban infill, better land-use planning, and incentives for building within existing communities. There are smarter ways to meet housing needs without paving over the very landscapes that make America special. 

We also recognize that as communities surrounded entirely by public land grow, there may be cases where limited, carefully planned transfers of public land for housing development could make sense, but under strict conditions and through existing authorities. Some parcels – particularly small, isolated tracts surrounded by existing development – may have low habitat value and provide little public access. In these rare cases, a well-planned land exchange or limited transfer could serve the public interest without harming our hunting and fishing traditions. But this must be the exception, not the rule. 

Such a decision must be made in concert with robust resource management planning, migration corridor mapping and public input, including from hunters and anglers. The resulting transfer should be accompanied by land conservation measures that provide equal or greater benefits, such as securing new public access, funding habitat restoration, or strengthening the conservation of public lands with higher ecological value. 

As sportsmen and women, we must remain vigilant. Once public land is sold, it’s lost forever. We shouldn’t trade an irreplaceable resource—our public lands—for irreversible development. This is why BHA strongly supports legislation led by Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), the Public Lands in Public Hands Act, which would reduce the ability for federal land management agencies to dispose of the lands owned by all Americans. 

Visit BHA's action center to support legislation that will strengthen the integrity of our public lands, and join BHA to support our work as we elevate the voices of hunters and anglers who oppose undermining our nation's most valuable resource – public lands.