Dear Editor,

Attending a Backcountry Hunters and Anglers meeting this past weekend I became aware that our U.S. Senate is considering (among many other things) selling Bridger Teton National Forest lands at Fremont Lake, New Fork Lake, in the Upper Green and in a large portion of the Wyoming Range. This is part of the way that the administration wants to pay for the tax bill.

I phoned Sen. Lummis’ office on June 16 and was informed that the map is not final yet, and comments from the public will help her make her decisions. I encourage everyone to phone Send. Lummis and Barrasso, and also Rep. Hageman to ask them to not sell our public lands. That’s why we live here — it’s where we go to hunt, fish, camp, hike, ski, snowmobile, ride our horses and bikes and ATVs and just get away from our busy lives.

Montana citizens were able to convince their senators to not have Montana public lands included in the bill. Why are the lands in the rest of the West included? We do not want to lose any of them.
Call Barrasso at 1-307-261-6413, Lummis at 202-224-3424, Hageman at 202-225-2311. You can also write to them by mail or through their email forms available online. If you know them personally, please make a personal contact.

But do this quickly. The Senate will finalize their map (or better yet, discard the sale map completely) in the next week or so.

Karla Bird, Pinedale, Wyo.