Mike Lee Is Coming For Your National Parks

Act today!

Kings Creek in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Last Monday, December 15, 2025, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) submitted an amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill, which is currently active in the Senate as part of a larger appropriations package.

This is all pretty technical stuff, but the message Lee is sending with this proposed amendment could not be any clearer: the Interior Department should not be required to keep its national park units, national trails, or wild and scenic rivers.

In other words: they could be sold or otherwise transferred.

Mike Lee proposed a number of different amendments, the most important one being the following: “In division C, strike section 130.”

He wants to strike this provision from the appropriations bill:

“Sec. 130. The Department of the Interior shall maintain all Federal lands designated as, or as a part of, a national park unit, a national scenic or national historic trail, or a wild and scenic river as of May 2, 2025 as Federal land and continue to operate such unit, trail, or river as an entity of the National Park Service including for such purposes as Federal employee staffing and entry, permit, and other fee collections.”

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I know I, along with many others, have been saying it for months, but our public lands and waters are facing their biggest challenges in decades right now. This new amendment is serious. And the Senate could vote on it this very week.

It is absolutely crucial that public land advocates and national park enthusiasts call their Senators today.

If this amendment passes, “it sends a green-light message to the White House that it’s ok to sell off America’s national park legacy. The future of our national parks is at risk,” the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) warns.

This is Mike Lee’s latest attempt to pave the way to reduce our public lands and waters. He’s been building quite the track record on this stuff this year alone:

• June: Attempting to sell off massive tracts of Forest Service and BLM lands

• Early-October: Building roads and surveillance systems in Wilderness areas for “border control”

• Mid-October: Allowing off-road vehicles in all national parks

• December: Having his staff meet in secret with Interior officials to discuss state management of Utah’s national parks

“A vote in favor of Senator Lee’s amendment is a vote to sell America’s national parks. And we won’t stand for it. A vote in favor of this amendment is nothing short of a betrayal to the American people. National parks belong to all Americans. These places are cornerstones of American culture, creating shared experiences and lasting memories for hundreds of millions of people every year. They are our legacy. And they are not for sale.” - Theresa Pierno, President and CEO of the NPCA

Please take a minute today—sooner rather than later—to call your Senator(s), regardless of whether they’re Republicans or Democrats. Tell them to vote “no” on Lee’s amendment 3972 and urge them to protect our national parks.

You can easily find your Senators’ phone number here.

What to Say?

Here’s a sample script of what you might say to your Senator(s). It doesn’t need to be elaborate—but it does need to be specific and to the point.

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [town, state].

As your constituent, I am urging you to vote “no” on Mike Lee’s amendment 3972 to the Interior Appropriations Bill. Like the vast majority of Americans, I love our national parks and this amendment would put them at risk of being sold off or transferred.

National parks are the crown jewels of our public lands system and one of the most bipartisan issues in U.S. politics. They should be properly protected, staffed, and funded.

This is your chance to help do that so we can all join together to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and our spectacular parks appropriately next year.

Thank you.”

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Thanks for reading and taking action!

See you on our public lands and waters,

Bram