By Tim Davis
To the Enterprise
Buried in the latest budget reconciliation discussions in Congress is a dangerous idea that should alarm every rural community in the West: selling off public lands to raise federal revenue.
Let’s be clear—this isn’t fiscal responsibility. It’s a fire sale of our shared heritage. And it would be devastating for places like Malheur County, Oregon; Grand County, Utah; Teton County, Wyoming; San Miguel County, Colorado; and Coconino County, Arizona—where public lands aren’t just a backdrop—they’re the backbone of the economy and the way of life.
From grazing and outfitting to hunting, fishing, and tourism, these lands sustain small businesses, support working families, and keep rural economies afloat. Selling them off may look like a line item on a spreadsheet in Washington, but on the ground, it means job losses, shuttered operations, and broken communities.
If Congress truly wants to support rural America, it can start by investing in the agencies that manage these lands—not liquidating the lands themselves.
Let me be clear: You can’t ask the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to do more with less. And yet, that’s exactly what Congress has been doing for years.
Right now, some of the loudest voices criticizing the BLM are the same ones voting to strip its funding. It’s a political double standard: criticize the agency for being slow or ineffective, then gut the very budget that allows it to function—and turn around and blame it again when things don’t get done.
The result? Public lands and the rural communities that depend on them are feeling the strain. Across the West, deteriorating roads, neglected infrastructure, and staff shortages are leaving public access routes impassable and economic opportunities squandered. Local businesses are losing revenue right when tourism and recreation seasons should be ramping up.
And it’s not because the BLM doesn’t care. It’s because they don’t have the staffing, the budget, or the flexibility to respond when and where they’re needed most.
This story repeats itself across the region. Many field offices are operating with half—or even less—of the staff they actually need. Law enforcement is stretched so thin that response times are measured in hours—sometimes days. Wildlife biologists, recreation planners, and range specialists are working overtime, wearing multiple hats just to cover the basics.
What gets lost in Washington is that the BLM isn’t some faceless bureaucracy—it’s made up of real people. Most of them live in the very communities they serve. These are folks who know every rancher by name, who raise their families in the same towns, and who show up for volunteer projects and community events.
So when Congress cuts funding, it’s not just abstract numbers. It’s fewer people to maintain campgrounds, issue grazing permits, support outfitters, and help prevent wildfires. It’s not the agency that suffers—it’s rural America.
And now, to make matters worse, there’s talk of selling off public lands to pay the bills.
Ranchers who rely on grazing leases can’t afford to purchase land outright—and if those lands are privatized, they’ll be forced to pay significantly more or leave the range entirely. That’s a direct threat to multigenerational family operations.
And it doesn’t stop at ag. Public lands bring in hunters, anglers, campers, hikers—people who spend money in our towns, stay in our motels, eat in our diners, and book with local guides. You cut off access to those lands, and you cut off a lifeline to small-town economies that are already hanging on by a thread.
Most are not against smart, limited land management adjustments. There are already tools in place to address landlocked parcels or fringe acreage near urban development. But selling off large swaths of public land to cover budget shortfalls? That’s not policy—it’s surrender.
Public lands are one of the few things keeping rural economies resilient. Selling them off is not a solution. It’s a setback we simply can’t afford.
If Congress truly wants to help rural America, it starts with two things: fund the BLM like it matters, and keep our public lands public. If Congress continues to underfund the BLM—and entertains a wholesale sell-off of public lands—it won’t just hurt rural America. It will kill it.
Tim Davis is executive director of Friends of the Owyhee.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Bentz talks tough on federal spending , but mum on his own luxury stays