For Immediate Release:

April 30, 2025

Contact:

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In New Ads, Hunters and Anglers Thank Sens. Heinrich and Hickenlooper for Protecting Public Lands

Ads in Colorado and New Mexico Newspapers Spotlight Senators’ Opposition to Public Land Sell-Offs

Missoula, MT — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), the leading advocate for the conservation of our public lands which seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, placed full page ads in Colorado and New Mexico newspapers this week, thanking U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) for championing our public lands. 

The ads, running in the Las Cruces Bulletin and Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, highlight the senators’ leadership in introducing an amendment during recent budget negotiations that would have blocked the sale of public lands. The sell-off of our public lands threatens to privatize millions of acres of fish and wildlife habitat and threaten access for hunters and anglers. Despite bipartisan support for the senators’ amendment, it failed to secure the majority needed to demonstrate that public lands sales are off the table. 

“When our public lands are on the line, we know who’s fighting for us,” said Patrick Berry, President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Senators Hickenlooper and Heinrich didn’t just ‘talk the talk’ — they stepped up when it mattered most. These budget fights may fly under the radar, but they carry real consequences for every hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast who relies on access to our public lands. We’re proud to stand with these senators — and with any elected official, from any party, who stands with us to champion these shared resources and the opportunities they provide for all Americans.”

The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to proposals that threaten access to public lands and prioritize privatization over conservation. Hunters and anglers will continue to watch their elected leaders closely — and hold them accountable when they fail to defend the lands that belong to all of us.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit  https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.