Idaho Congressman Supports Doug Burgum’s Fail-By-Design Plan To Sell Off Public Lands
ID Rep. Russ Fulcher Has Taken Over $300,000 From Developers And Industry Special Interests
HELENA, MT – Idaho Congressman Russ Fulcher is pushing a tired, old public land sell-off scheme in support of the Trump administration and Interior Secretary Burgum’s fail-by-design plan. In a letter, the Idaho Republican congressman calls for the transfer of Idaho’s federal public land, which makes up almost two-thirds of total land in the state, to “local control.” Transferring of federal public lands is a precursor to selling them off. Rep. Fulcher specifically cites Doug Burgum’s failed management of Idaho’s 33 million acres as justification.
Interestingly, Rep. Fulcher doesn’t explain in his misguided letter that America’s parks and public lands have been purposely undermined by Donald Trump and Burgum’s historic government shutdown, drastic DOGE funding cuts, gutted protections, hiring freezes, and workforce reductions. The state of Idaho, which is struggling to even pass a balanced budget, is no better equipped to steward these public lands, and has a long history of selling off its state public land to developers and industry—already having sold some 41% or 1.7 million acres of state land.
“Idaho Rep. Russ Fulcher has come out as a true believer in the public land sell off and privatization gospel of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Trump’s conflicted BLM nominee ‘Selloff Steve’ Pearce,” said Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill. “Fulcher, who has collected a handsome sum of money from industry and developer interests as a politician, knows exactly what will happen if Americans’ public lands are transferred to states: They’ll be sold off and ripped away from every Idahoan and American. Public lands are Fulcher’s constituents’ and every American’s birthright and heritage.”
Not only are public land sell off and privatization schemes deeply unpopular with Americans, almost 100% of Idahoans support keeping public lands in public hands. Idaho’s outdoor recreation economy generates nearly $8 billion in revenue for the state, and it supports almost 80,000 jobs. If Congressman Fulcher, Secretary Burgum, and BLM nominee ‘Selloff Steve’ Pearce have their way, the only thing those lands will generate is income for their developer and Big Oil donors.
To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com.
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