As the publisher of Alpinist, Mountain Flyer, Backcountry, and Cross Country Skier, Height of Land Publications represents a broad and passionate community of climbers, skiers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts whose lives, livelihoods, and identities are deeply rooted in public lands. We stand in firm opposition to the provisions in the House Budget Reconciliation bill—specifically the late-night amendment introduced by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT)—that proposes the sale of over 500,000 acres of federal public lands in Utah and Nevada. If passed, this would set a dangerous precedent of selling off public lands without public input.
These are more than anonymous tracts of land—they are climbing routes, skintracks, trailheads, sacred sites, and the open spaces where generations of Americans have found challenge, beauty, and belonging. From sandstone walls in southwestern Utah to Nevada’s alpine basins, these landscapes are central to the outdoor culture we cover and the communities we serve.
Selling them off to private entities erodes the public trust and endangers a cornerstone of American outdoor life. It jeopardizes access, threatens habitat, and undermines rural economies that rely on sustainable recreation. Once public land is sold, it’s gone—often fenced off, developed, or extracted beyond repair. The dangerous precedent this sale would set is well outside any existing statutory construct for the sale of public lands. In short, what goes next? The high peaks of Grand Teton National Park? Climbing routes in Yosemite?
The outdoor recreation economy contributes more than $1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy and supports over 5 million jobs. In Utah and Nevada, climbing, skiing, hiking, and camping are not only cultural touchstones—they are economic lifelines. This proposed land sale contradicts both fiscal and environmental common sense.
As President Theodore Roosevelt reminded us in his 1910 New Nationalism speech:
“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.”
That ethic of stewardship is as relevant today as it was more than a century ago. Public lands are not disposable assets. They are part of the American promise—to current and future generations—and we must fight to protect them.
As the House Rules committee engages with this bill today, May 20, 2025, we encourage our readers, contributors, and partners to speak out. Write your representatives. Share your stories. Let Congress know that these lands matter—not just to climbers, bikers and skiers, but to anyone who believes in the power of roaming, exploring, and belonging.
Fill out Winter Wildland Alliance’s form to contact your representatives here or, if you prefer to reach out to your representatives directly, refer to the Senate directory and House directory for contact information.
— Height of Land Publications
May 20, 2025
Adam Howard, President and CEO
Betsy Manero, Backcountry Magazine Editor in Chief
Derek Franz, Alpinist Magazine Editor in Chief
Brian Riepe, Mountain Flyer and Cross Country Skier Magazine Publisher
Justin Reyher, Alpinist and Backcountry Magazine Publisher