Article Summary –
U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill aiming to restrict the transfer of federal lands to other owners. The proposed bill would prohibit the Interior Department from selling parcels of federal land larger than 300 acres if they’re publicly accessible, with certain exceptions. The legislation has been met with mixed responses, with some environmental organizations expressing support, and critics, including Zinke’s potential opponent Monica Tranel, labeling it as a “publicity stunt” and questioning the exceptions in the bill.
Western Montana U.S. Rep Ryan Zinke Co-Sponsors Federal Land Transfer Bill
US Representative for Montana, Ryan Zinke, announced his co-sponsorship for bipartisan legislation aimed at restricting the transfer of federal lands. Zinke, a Republican seeking re-election, is developing the legislation with a New Mexico Democrat.
“Public lands must remain public, and the federal government has a responsibility to manage and ensure access to those lands,” Zinke stated. However, critics including Monica Tranel, the likely Democratic nominee for Zinke’s seat, labeled the bill an election season “publicity stunt.”
The proposed bill prohibits the selling of federal land parcels over 300 acres if publicly accessible via road, trail, easement, or waterway. Congressional approval for land exchanges, transfers under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and certain federal lands in Nevada and Alaska are exceptions in the bill.
As a former Interior Secretary, Zinke said he prioritized opening land-locked public lands and expanding hunting and fishing opportunities. He described the Public Lands in Public Hands Act as the next step in preserving public land accessibility for future generations.
Supporters of the federal land transfer restriction bill include Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Trout Unlimited, Boone & Crockett Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, and Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. The legislation has been praised as a safeguard for hunting, angling traditions, cold-water fisheries, and public access.
Public land conservation and access are ongoing voter concerns in Montana, where 29% of land is federally owned. A recent poll found that these issues are a “primary factor” for 41% of Montana voters when choosing public officials.
Despite the bill’s early stage, its path to becoming law requires approval from an undecided U.S. House committee, winning votes from a majority in the Republican-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate, and President Joe Biden’s signature.
Tranel and other critics questioned Zinke’s loyalty to federal land ownership. Tranel, Zinke’s former opponent and the only Democrat who has filed campaign finance paperwork to run against him this year, described the bill as a “publicity stunt.”
The Montana Conservation Voters’ Executive Director stated that, under Zinke’s leadership as Secretary of the Interior, public land protections were removed across the United States, raising concerns about the bill’s timing and exceptions.
The spokesperson for Zinke anticipates that the bill will be assigned to either the House Agriculture Committee’s Forestry subcommittee or the House Natural Resource Committee’s Federal Lands subcommittee.
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