A few months ago, the Independent reported on Senator Mike Lee’s outrageous plan to sell off millions of acres of national public land, including land California and even parts of Los Padres National Forest. While this initial attempt failed, I’m hesitant to celebrate just yet; in fact, I worry that suits like Mike Lee are counting us to forget too quickly, so they can try again.
What many politicians in Washington seem to miss is how Californians actually experience our public lands. Yes, people travel here to see iconic destinations like El Capitan, but for those of us who live here, our relationship with nature is far more everyday and local. It’s forged in lesser-known campsites, neighborhood-adjacent trails, and public deserts and forests that still support wildlife like mountain lions, condors, and snowy plovers. These places don’t matter because they’re famous, but because they’re accessible. They’re where my family would go to hike for an afternoon, where I learned to love the outdoors, and where our communities stay connected to the land. Just because they don’t appear on postcards doesn’t make them expendable.
That’s why I am happy to see the state legislature standing up for California’s lands with a bipartisan stopgap bill: AB 1624, the Public Lands Protection Act. This legislation would help ensure that if federal land is sold, it can’t simply be turned into a golf course or luxury development. Thank you to Rep. Hart for signing on early as a co-sponsor, and I urge the State Legislature to pass this bill for all Californians.
