| As a founding member of the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, Congressman Gabe Vasquez has made protecting America’s public lands a top priority – successfully beating back partisan schemes to cut millions in funding and sell off thousands of acres of public land to the highest bidder.
In a new op-ed for Field and Stream, a premier hunting and fishing magazine, Vasquez explains why conservation and public lands are key pillars of his work to serve his community and why he has worked to put politics aside in the fight to preserve America’s public land legacy.
Read more below:
Field & Stream: Keeping Public Lands in Public Hands: What Will it Take?
- [Time] spent with my dad and brother as a young boy is among my earliest memories of falling in love with the outdoors and, eventually, with conservation and public lands. It was a uniquely American experience…[and] a uniquely southern New Mexico experience.
- Today, I find myself as a Member of Congress representing that very district…that helped shape my life.
- In 2025…I co-founded the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus…we decided to put Washington politics aside and work toward an issue we both care about: Keeping Public Lands in Public Hands.
- America’s affinity for conservation and wildlife transcends race, gender, political party, and whatever category you want to throw at folks who love the outdoors. That’s why the Public Lands Caucus has grown to include 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
Sell-Off Threats Emerge
- …Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada proposed an amendment to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands…which was eventually removed from the House reconciliation package thanks in large part to this bipartisan coalition that we built…
- Americans in the West have seen this movida for generations — folks trying to sell off our nation’s heritage…to benefit industry and the wealthiest who can afford to buy up our forests, mountains, and rivers, leaving everyday people in the dust…
A Legacy Worth Fighting For
- In my home district of New Mexico…public lands define who we are…
- The truth is, beyond recreation, heritage, tradition, and sustenance, public lands bring immense economic opportunity to rural communities… And regardless of our politics, we agree that we want to keep them wild, well managed, and accessible for all.
The Battle Continues
- We know the attacks will keep coming. Representing a border district, I see right through Senator Lee’s latest proposal, the Border Lands Conservation Act.
- I’d invite Senator Lee to come visit New Mexico’s boot heel and join me to hunt…And I dare him to tell me that our border lands—south or north—shouldn’t be protected and accessible to all Americans.
- The fine print of this very bad bill impacts all public lands within 100 miles of our southern and northern borders, with one goal in mind—destroying the integrity of these lands with the eventual goal of privatizing them or selling them off to the highest bidder.
- I support strong and secure borders, but this isn’t the way to do it.
- In this country, public lands are the great equalizer. Both Republicans and Democrats have fought to protect them for generations.
- Whatever political side we may choose to hang our hats on, we are bonded by the common experience… [and] feeling that ignites a lifelong desire to protect wildlife and our public lands at all cost.
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