Overview

Federal attempts to roll back protections for public lands have been accelerating in recent months. Yet across the country, support for public lands remains strong. State and local leaders are also stepping up with legislative solutions to safeguard access and maintain ecological integrity. This blog explores how states are addressing federal challenges and charting a path forward for public lands conservation.

• Why Public Land Protections Matter: Public lands protect ecosystems and critical habitats for thousands of species, safeguard important historical and cultural sites, mitigate climate change, provide spaces for outdoor recreation, and support local economies. According to a 2024 report, American public lands are responsible for generating $45 billion in economic output and nearly 400,000 jobs in surrounding communities. 

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Catch Up Quick: Mounting Federal Challenges to Public Lands

Despite their enormous popularity and range of benefits, public land protections are facing rollbacks from both Congress and the current administration. 

Expanding Extraction, Rolling Back Protections

The Bureau of Land Management and Congress are expanding oil and gas drilling and logging on millions of acres of public lands, laying off career staff at land management agencies, and rolling back protections for treasured American lands. The administration also announced the rollback of the popular Roadless Rule, opening 58 million acres of national forests to logging, and moved to rescind the Public Lands Rule, which put conservation and outdoor access on equal footing with more extractive uses of public lands. 

HR 1

Earlier this summer, after extensive public opposition from across the political spectrum, a proposal to sell off millions of acres of public lands was removed from HR 1, but the newly signed law still significantly expands coal mining, logging, and oil and gas drilling on public lands. Congressional members also continue to defund land management agencies and challenge bedrock environmental laws like the Antiquities Act and Endangered Species Act.

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Support for Public Lands Remains Strong 

In spite of these recent developments, state leaders can still make a difference in protecting our public lands. Many state legislatures have already shown their commitment to keeping public lands public, and the general public is on their side:

• A Call for Protection: A 2025 poll found that 71% of U.S. residents oppose the sale of existing national public lands, while 74% oppose the closure of public lands. 

• Concern About Loss of Natural Areas: Four in five Western voters cited concerns about the loss of natural areas.

• Support for National Monument Status: Nearly nine in ten Western voters said they support keeping recent national monument designations for public lands.

State legislators can remain committed to protecting public lands and responding to federal challenges by increasing protections for and access to public lands. Examples of recent local and statewide actions can be found below.

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Opposition to Public Lands Sell-Off

By and large, state and local officials have responded to attempts to sell off public lands with pushback. The limited number of sell-off attempts introduced in state legislatures have not passed, while many counties, cities, and towns have passed resolutions or released letters in support of keeping public lands in public hands. 

• State-Wide Sell-Off Attempts are Unpopular: In several Western states, lawmakers have introduced resolutions in support of land sell-offs or “transfers” to state or private control. Many of these resolutions claim that federally owned land is an unconstitutional use of power that infringes on states’ rights and authority — a claim that is widely opposed by the general public.

• Local Municipalities Have Passed Dozens of Letters and Resolutions In Opposition to Sell-Offs: While state legislators have voted down state-wide sell-off attempts, local officials have also passed dozens of resolutions and letters in opposition to sell-offs and in support of keeping public lands public. As of National Public Lands Day (September 27), at least 60 resolutions have been released across ten states this year.

In many of these states, additional counties and municipalities are also preparing to pass public lands resolutions. A complete list of resolutions and letters, as well as their text, can be found on the Mountain Pact’s website.

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State Policy Solutions for Conservation Gaps & Protecting Public Lands

In addition to striking down attempts to sell off public lands and passing resolutions in opposition, state legislators have also affirmed their commitment to keeping lands ecologically intact and accessible to the public by passing conservation legislation. In dozens of states, bills have been introduced and enacted to increase access to public lands, strengthen habitat connectivity, fund further land and water conservation, and improve collaboration with Tribes.

• Learn More: See the 2025 Legislative Session Recap from the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) for more information on state policy trends in 2025.

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1. Land Conservation and Restoration

Land conservation efforts are accelerating through state-based conservation goal implementation, major state investments, and large-scale restoration initiatives. One continued area of state engagement on land conservation is through 30×30 goals. Nine states continue to make progress on their 30×30 conservation goal implementation, marked by in-depth public engagement processes across the board.

Other recent legislative examples related to land conservation and restoration can be found below.

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2. Outdoor Access

Expanding access to nature on public lands and beyond is a growing bipartisan priority, with hundreds of bills in 2025 to enhance outdoor recreation through a variety of means. Outdoor recreation contributes $1.2 trillion in economic output nationally, which largely originates in the quality and availability of public recreational lands. In 2025, at least 300 bills were introduced across 45 states to increase access to nature, on public lands in particular; 28 states enacted legislation. Specific legislative examples from 2025 can be found below.

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3. Habitat Connectivity

Conservation policies are increasingly focused on reconnecting wildlife habitats fragmented by roadways and other infrastructure, with states prioritizing wildlife corridors and habitat conservation funding. In 2025, at least 63 bills were introduced across 26 states to strengthen habitat connectivity and prioritize land conservation; 14 states enacted legislation. Specific legislative examples from 2025 can be found below.

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4. State/Tribal Collaboration

Collaborative conservation is deepening as states partner with Tribes to return lands, unlock federal funding, and expand land and water stewardship. In 2025, at least 82 bills were introduced across 29 states to strengthen state/Tribal collaboration; 13 states enacted legislation. Specific legislative examples from 2025 can be found below.

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Looking Ahead

State legislatures can play a key role in addressing challenges to public lands protections and sustaining conservation efforts. Public land sell-offs are unpopular, and states have largely responded in tune with public opinion — opposing public land sell-offs and further advancing conservation efforts. In the first year of the current administration, local legislators have passed resolutions and letters in support of public lands, as well as bills that protect public lands and advance conservation. State legislators can continue to lead the way. 

Learn more by exploring the issues NCEL works on or getting in touch with one of our team members.