Zinke draws a ‘red line’ on public lands

The U.S. House last week launched the new bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, and it couldn’t have happened at a more critical time. 

Led by co-chairs Reps. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana and Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., the new coalition promises to champion conservation and access to the land that we all own. 

“The bipartisan Public Lands Caucus brings together lawmakers who don’t agree on much, but we agree on and are ready to work together to promote policies that advance conservation and public access,” Zinke said about the new congressional group that also includes Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana.

This is a refreshing and important development for Montanans and many other Western state residents who cherish open spaces and the recreational opportunities they provide. Montana boasts more than 27 million acres of public land, representing about 30% of its total land area. Much of that acreage is in Western Montana, which is home to national forests, wilderness areas, and of course, Glacier and Yellowstone national parks. 

Zinke and Vasquez celebrated the new caucus with an event in front of the Capitol on May 7 — just hours after the House Natural Resources Committee approved a devastating amendment that would allow 460,000 acres in Nevada and Utah to be sold or transferred to a local government or private entity. 

The committee argued that selling the public tracts could generate revenue and help nearby cities better accommodate rapid growth. 

Zinke, however, immediately called out the legislation for what it is: A dangerous precedent-setting maneuver that could spread like a virus across the West. While there may be specific instances where selling federal land to accommodate growth makes sense, Zinke said there’s a process that must be followed. 

“... to have it in a bill without public comment, I think is misguided,” he told WVTF radio. 

Zinke also told Politico he’s a “hard no” on including the amendment in the House version of the “big beautiful” reconciliation budget bill Trump is anticipating. 

“It’s a red line to me,” Zinke said. 

To his credit, the congressman has consistently walked the talk in pushing back against public land transfers and sales. Along with the new bipartisan caucus, he also introduced earlier this year the Public Lands in Public Hands Act with Democrat Rep. Vasquez. That bill would ban the sale or transfer of most land managed by the Interior and Forest Service. 

Montanans of all political stripes deeply value conservation and access to public land. According to one recent poll, 98% of Democrats, 84% of independents and 71% of Republicans said conservation issues are important to their voting decisions. 

Zinke knows this is a principle worth defending. 

“I’ve said definitively that it’s a red line with me, and there’s a couple of red lines I think that all of us have,” he told WVTF. “... I don’t vote against the Constitution. And I will not vote for large-scale divesting of public lands when I know how important they are.” 

But now comes the moment of truth as House Republicans grapple over the funding bill with immense pressure from the White House to get it done. 

Montanans need Zinke to stand his ground on this issue, even if it mean bucking the party line — it’s that important. Better yet, maybe he can persuade even more “Teddy Roosevelt” minded legislators to join him in defending this red line.