My story
My name is Gary, and I am an avid outdoorsman. Through fishing, hiking, exploring, and sports, I look forward to the times I am able to escape and take in the fresh air of the beautiful, natural landscapes of America. I am currently working at my dream job which requires me to live in the city. This makes my time outdoors even more precious to me and I can’t imagine a generation who wouldn’t have access to public lands.
Recent legislation has threatened to make it easier for the Federal Government to sell these lands back to individual states. States lack the ability to provide for public lands, either in financial resources or in personnel. Selling public lands back to the states would severely compromise the quality of public lands and open them up to auction for corporations to buy and violate.
I created the Public Lands Campaign to prevent this from happening. America’s unique lands should be protected, shared, and experienced by everyone. Our public lands are a part of our cultural history, and we cannot let them be destroyed, no matter what the dollar amount. This campaign will ensure that U.S public lands are properly funded for use and care. Please help me hire a lobbyist to show Congress our passion for nature.
About public lands
Examples from history have shown that when large chunks of land are ceded back to the states, the result is almost always mismanagement, funding crises, and ultimately open auctions of the land to the highest commercial bidder.
States with large swaths of public lands rely on the resources, expertise, and funding of the Federal Government to protect and manage such enormous pieces of land. When a state receives public land from the Federal Government, it loses the funding and oversight of federal agencies. States are then forced to use their own resources to manage the land that tens of millions of Americans use and enjoy. For many states, this cost is simply too much to shoulder, and often results in the state selling the formerly public land to private parties for activities such as mining, logging, and other industrial activities.
Take the state of Nevada as an example. In the entire state of Nevada, 87% of the land is owned by the Federal Government, large portions of which are federally protected public use areas and wilderness.
In 2016, Nevada spent $45 million dollars fighting fires on land owned by the state. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management spent almost twice that amount managing forest fires on federal lands. Fighting forest fires in summer months is only one cost associated with managing and maintaining these federal lands for the enjoyment of the public.
As you can imagine, if Nevada was forced to manage even a fraction of the public land owned by the federal government, it would quickly run into funding troubles. This has happened with public lands throughout the American West, and in many cases, states have been forced to sell the land at auction to large commercial entities, where it can never again be used by everyday Americans.
WHAT SUPPORTERS
ARE SAYING:
Go get 'em Gary!
$4
For the same price as your morning latte, you can have the same access to lobbyists as large corporations. interest groups and wealthy donors.
$28
The average small-dollar donation to presidential candidates in 2020.
$50
The average cost of 30 minutes of lobbying from one of our lobbyists. This is a fraction of the cost of a typical D.C. lobbyist, who charges anywhere from $500 to $1500/hour.
$88
The average donation to all crowdfunding platforms in 2020.
$100
The average cost of hiring one of our lobbyists for an hour of lobbying. This is a fraction of the cost of a typical D.C. lobbyist, who charges anywhere from $500 to $1500/hour.
America is unique in both its natural beauty and its commitment to allowing all Americans to experience that beauty. Every year, many Americans enjoy the splendor of Americas public lands, whether to hunt, fish, climb, birdwatch, or simply site see. This frequent and varied use has positive environmental as well as economic impacts. Public lands generate billions of dollars in tourism and sporting revenue, and the protection of national forests and wildernesses ensures clean air and water for future generations.
By ceding land back to states that can’t afford and are not equipped to manage such a task, lawmakers risk degrading the health of our public lands and forcing budget weary state legislatures to offer Americas natural beauty to large corporations at auction. By halting the transfer of public lands to the state, Congress can ensure that this precious and unique gift is around to be shared for generations to come, rather than logged and mined.
What will your lobbyists do?
Whether it is a small state issue or a large federal policy, hiring our lobbyists is the best way to get your voice heard in government. Every $100 raised will result in an hour of lobbying from a member of our lobbying team. Our lobbyists:
1) Research current laws and proposed legislation
2) Come up with a strategy to best advance the issue, either through policy changes or new laws
3) Use our contacts to identify the different supporters and opponents of the issue and find out where key members stand on the topic.
4) Meet one-on-one with legislators and ask for their help to introduce new legislation or get a current bill through the legislative process
5) Help rally votes from lawmakers for the bills passage by the House and the Senate
6) Identify other groups working on the issue and coordinate advocacy efforts to ensure success