Spring is here and soon turkey hunting will be too.[1] Like many Colorado turkey (and other) hunters, I depend on public lands for hunting, hiking, camping, canoeing, and outdoor recreation in general. More importantly, wildlife species like deer, ducks, grouse, elk, and dozens more need that habitat for their survival.[2]

With more than 23 million acres of public land, Colorado boasts some of the best hunting access in the nation. Here you can hunt national forests, state wildlife areas, state parks, state trust, and Bureau of Land Management lands. Hunting mountain Merriam’s turkeys in Colorado epitomizes the spirit of fair chase in vast expanses of public lands terrain.[3]

Combined with the 640 million acres of federal public lands in the United States, our nation’s hunters and anglers have unparalleled opportunities to pursue fish and game without relying upon private landowners for access.[4] However, sportsmen and women cite lack of access as the number one obstacle to continuing our sporting traditions. Without these public lands hunters will be the next endangered species.

With that in mind, during early April members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) from Colorado, California, Arizona, and other parts of the country converged with other hunter-angler conservation groups (including Trout Unlimited) in Washington, D.C. to visit congressional offices and advocate for keeping public lands in public hands.[5]

On April 2^nd I had the privilege of meeting with dedicated staff (along with Steve Kandell, Trout Unlimited Government Affairs/National Campaign Director) at the offices of Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CO) and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-CO). Their staff were welcoming and we greatly appreciated their interest in our observations and concerns regarding public lands and waters.[6]

Surveys by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation have found that over 90% of Colorado hunters use public lands.[7] Public lands habitat is the Titanic that keeps hunting afloat, but it’s sinking.[8] People have been trying to steal our great public lands estate since Theodore Roosevelt (and others) set it aside. Unfortunately, those efforts have shifted into high gear recently.[9] After his February confirmation, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a series of orders prioritizing public lands energy development and mining.[10]

Kaden McArthur, BHA Policy and Government Relations Director, said Burgum’s orders discount input from hunters, anglers, and other stakeholders.[11] Then, during March, Secretary Burgum proposed fixing America’s affordable housing problem by selling off public lands for development, Outdoor Life News Editor Dac Collins explained.[12]

In reality, it’s a thinly veiled disguise to dispose of public lands. And as sportsmen and women know from boots-on-the-ground experience, nothing locks up land like privatization. “This is just one step of many that we’ve seen toward the commodification and development of our public lands,” McArthur told Outdoor Life.[13]

“This idea that our federal lands are a cure-all to the nation’s housing problems is a farce,” Dac Collins added. “The root cause of the affordable housing crisis is a lack of affordable units, not a lack of developable land.” In addition, the vast majority of federal lands are far removed from the metropolitan areas where affordable housing is most needed.[14] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently 15.1 million vacant housing units in the United States, reinforcing the idea that housing availability is not the main issue.[15]

A July 2023 News Tribune op-ed noted that institutional buyers—defined as companies, corporations or limited liability companies—made up 13% of the residential real estate sales market in 2021. Cory Ure, at SecurityNational Mortgage Co. in Salt Lake City, was quoted as saying, “Even some very qualified buyers couldn’t compete against these investors, especially these big pension funds and hedge funds coming in and paying way over value.”[16]

Dac Collins says the federal government could play a big role in making housing more affordable by enacting policies that bring down housing costs, such as preventing corporations and private equity firms from buying up single-family homes, and incentivizing the construction of affordable homes over luxury apartments and high-end subdivisions.[17]

On April 3^rd we visited the offices of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO), and Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO) to again talk about the importance of public lands to hunters, anglers, and all Americans. We were warmly received and appreciated their interest in our issues and concerns. However, the takeaway was/is clear: Now (or potentially never) is the time to act![18]

“As sportsmen and women, we must remain vigilant. Once public land is sold, it’s lost forever,” Kaden McArthur added. “We shouldn’t trade an irreplaceable resource—our public lands—for irreversible development.” This is why BHA strongly supports the bipartisan 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.[19]

Many of us come from multi-generational families of hunters and/or military veterans and, as such, we have embraced the immense responsibility of protecting public lands and democracy. Diminishing any wild public lands, waters, and wildlife anywhere speaks to a fundamental disregard for the hunters, anglers, and the servicemembers and veterans of this great nation.[20]

Public lands are not a left or right issue, they’re an American issue. “To be clear: Once these landscapes are gone and out of the federal estate, they’re never coming back,” McArthur emphasized.[21] And I didn’t spend fifteen years of my life in military training and service to let a bunch of billionaire buzzards and oligarch wannabes waltz in and take them without a fight.[22] At BHA we’re not backing down. Join us!

David Lien from Colorado Springs, Colo., is co-chair of the Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, an author, and former Air Force missile launch officer.[23] In 2014 he was recognized by Field & Stream as a “Hero of Conservation.”[24] During 2019 he was the recipient of BHA’s Mike Beagle-Chairman’s Award “for outstanding effort on behalf of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.”[25]

Additional/Related Information

-Take Action: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/take_action#/

-Nadia Marji. “Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Urges Congress to Abandon Proposal to Sell off Public Lands as Part of Budget Discussions.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/2/25.

-Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (4/2/25). “Now (or potentially never) is the time to act!”

-Kaden McArthur. “April 2025 Federal Policy Roundup: President Trump Announces Intended Elimination of National Monuments.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/2/5.

-Garrett Downs and Kelsey Brugger. “Republicans weigh sales of public land in reconciliation.” E&E News: 4/2/25.

-Steve Kandell. “Thanks Antiquities Act for a great hunting season.” Trout Unlimited: 3/25/25.

-Washington, D.C. Congressional Office Visits (Photos) Advocating For Keeping Public Lands In Public Hands (April 2-3, 2025).

-“In Washington, D.C. at the Russell Senate office building  preparing to meet at the offices of Colorado’s Senators to advocate for public lands” video (4/3/25): https://www.facebook.com/reel/1084918433385062

-“Just wrapped up some good meetings with the staff of Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper & Representatives Jason Crow and Gabe Evans about the importance of public lands to hunters, anglers, and all Americans” video (4/3/25): https://www.facebook.com/reel/1193370362392916 

-Washington, D.C. Reagan National Airport video (4/4/25): “Heading for home after visiting two Colorado U.S. Senator offices and four Representatives offices to talk about the importance of keeping public lands in public hands for hunters, anglers, and all Americans.” https://www.facebook.com/reel/1635432294002729

[1] David A. Lien. “Hunting ethically is good, hard work: A sportsmanlike, lawful pursuit of free-ranging game ensures a fair chase.” Colorado Newsline: 4/26/23.

[2] David A. Lien. “Project 2025 proponents underestimate our resolve: Manifesto for new administration is taking aim at our public lands.” Colorado Newsline: 11/24/24.

[3] David A. Lien. “Hunting Colorado’s Mountain Merriam’s (With The Colonel & The Fox) and Struttin’ & Cluckin’ at Rendezvous.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/28/24.

[4] David A. Lien. “Don’t put public lands on the chopping block: American liberty and American wilderness are intertwined.” Colorado Newsline: 1/22/25.

[5] Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (4/2/25). “Now (or potentially never) is the time to act!”

[6] Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (4/2/25). “Now (or potentially never) is the time to act!”

[7] Tim Brass. “Funding for public access and conservation vital to hunters and anglers.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: June 2014.

[8] David A. Lien. “Freedom & Fire: A Brief BHA History II.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/24/25.

[9] David A. Lien. “Public Lands On The Chopping Block: It’s Now Or Never.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/24/25.

[10] Kaden McArthur. “Interior Secretary Burgum Issues First Orders, Conservation Doesn’t Make List.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/7/25.

[11] Kaden McArthur. “Interior Secretary Burgum Issues First Orders, Conservation Doesn’t Make List.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/7/25.

[12] Dac Collins. “Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say: Developing our public lands is not the answer to America's affordable housing crisis, sources say, but it does provide cover for public land disposal.” Outdoor Life: 3/20/25.

[13] Dac Collins. “Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say: Developing our public lands is not the answer to America's affordable housing crisis, sources say, but it does provide cover for public land disposal.” Outdoor Life: 3/20/25.

[14] Dac Collins. “Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say: Developing our public lands is not the answer to America's affordable housing crisis, sources say, but it does provide cover for public land disposal.” Outdoor Life: 3/20/25.

[15] Alex Derr. “Selling Off Public Lands? Experts Warn Trump’s Housing Plan Is a Land Grab in Disguise.” The Next Summit: 3/19/25.

[16] Kimberly Haas, managing editor of The Mortgage Note (themortgagenote.org). “Stop letting corporate landlords drive up home prices.” Duluth News Tribune: 7/17/23.

[17] Dac Collins. “Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say: Developing our public lands is not the answer to America's affordable housing crisis, sources say, but it does provide cover for public land disposal.” Outdoor Life: 3/20/25.

[18] Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (4/2/25). “Now (or potentially never) is the time to act!”

[19] Kaden McArthur. “Efforts to Streamline the Sale of Public Lands for Housing Continue to Grow.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/19/25.

[20] David A. Lien. “Freedom & Fire: A Brief BHA History II.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/24/25.

[21] Dac Collins. “Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say: Developing our public lands is not the answer to America's affordable housing crisis, sources say, but it does provide cover for public land disposal.” Outdoor Life: 3/20/25.

[22] David A. Lien. “Freedom & Fire: A Brief BHA History II.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/24/25.

[23] David A. Lien. “A Higher Calling.” Association of Air Force Missileers (AAFM) Newsletter: March 2011, p. 4.

[24] Editors. “Heroes of Conservation: Safeguarding Winter Elk Range.” Field & Stream: July 2014, p. 29.

[25] https://www.backcountryhunters.org/co_bha_award_winners