The Budget Bill Threatens Public Lands. Here’s How to Save Them.

Nearly 60% of climbing in the U.S. takes place on federal public lands. But that access has never been guaranteed—and right now, it’s facing another serious threat.

H.R.1, the budget reconciliation bill that just passed the House of Representatives and is moving to the Senate, proposes sweeping changes to how public lands are managed. While the bill is framed as a cost-saving measure,, it actually increases the federal deficit by over $2.5 trillion. Additionally, it takes direct aim at public lands, long-standing environmental protections, and public participation processes that have guided land management for decades.

For the climbing community, the implications are clear: This bill threatens the future of climbing access, conservation, and the ability of citizens to have a voice in how public lands are managed. Below are a few ways this bill will impact public lands that all Americans should know about.

A Dangerous Push for Public Land Sell-Offs, Narrowly Averted

One of the most alarming provisions originally included in the bill would have authorized the sale of over 500,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada—without environmental review or public input. These parcels included climbing areas near St. George, Utah and the Lone Mountain Crags in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But climbers and public land advocates stepped up—and it worked. After mounting pressure, Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT), a founder of the new Public Lands caucus, introduced an amendment that successfully stripped the sell-off provision from the bill just before the final House vote. This narrow win is thanks to collective advocacy, and it proves that when climbers raise their voices, it makes a difference.

Environmental Protections on the Chopping Block

Section 80151 of the bill goes after the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which has been a cornerstone of public land management since 1970. NEPA ensures that climbers, communities, and conservationists have a say in how public lands are managed, protected, developed, or sold.

Under this proposal, developers could pay to fast-track environmental reviews—creating a pay-to-play system that prioritizes speed and profit over transparency and public input. The bill precludes the public from appealing abbreviated, pay-to-play environmental reviews. This is a red flag for climbers and all Americans. NEPA is often the only tool we have to push back when new infrastructure, development, or inappropriate management schemes threaten climbing access.

Without a robust NEPA process, we lose a key way to speak up for the places we care about.

Fast-Tracking Drilling Near Parks and Climbing Areas

Title VIII, Subtitle A of the bill mandates quarterly oil, gas, and mining lease sales near more than 60 national parks and countless recreation areas. These leases would receive very limited public involvement at the leasing stage, greatly reducing opportunities for legal challenges even when the agency fails to follow the law or neglects its own regulations.

To be clear: Access Fund is not opposed to responsible energy development, mining, or logging. But this bill removes essential safeguards and overlooks the outdoor recreation economy—an industry worth $1.3 trillion and central to many gateway and rural communities.

Cutting Conservation Efforts When We Need Them Most

Beyond the above additions, the bill includes steep cuts to critical land stewardship initiatives. Billions in funding for conservation, restoration, and climate resilience efforts would be rescinded—funding that directly supports trail maintenance, erosion mitigation, sustainable infrastructure, and other on-the-ground efforts led by Access Fund’s Conservation Teams and Climber Stewards.

As climbing continues to grow, these efforts are more important than ever. Pulling funding for conservation threatens not just the health of our climbing landscapes, but the future of stewardship nationwide.

What Comes Next—and How Climbers Can Help

On May 22, in a razor-thin 215–214 vote, the House of Representatives passed the bill only after a last-minute manager’s amendment erased the land sell-off section. The bill can, and will, change as the Senate now considers the legislation. Access Fund is working closely with partners and congressional allies to stop these attacks on public lands, but we can’t do it alone.

That’s where you come in.

Climbers have always been powerful advocates for public lands, but all of us must raise our voices to ensure our concerns are heard.

Use our simple letter-writing tool to tell your Senator: Climbers stand for public lands, environmental review, and a fair, transparent process for managing the places we love.

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