Outdoor Alliance: In A Time Of Major Threats, Outdoor Community Is Standing Strong For Public Land & Water

Large-scale threats to conservation and outdoor recreation use of public lands and waters over the last year played a major role in galvanizing the public to have a bigger voice than ever before around publicly shared resources on conservation and public lands issues, according to 2025 data from Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of outdoor recreation groups working together to protect public lands.

Despite facing unprecedented headwinds, the different types of human-powered recreation represented through Outdoor Alliance — hikers, bikers, climbers, paddlers, surfers and skiers — rallied this past year to move the needle in pushing back against major threats to the nation’s public lands and waters. 

Throughout 2025, Outdoor Alliance’s constituency has:

• Delivered more than 1.25 million messages directly to decision makers

• Re-shared maps of proposed threats to public land more than 4 million times.

• Held more than 307 meetings with lawmakers, more than one every working day of the year.

These efforts have played a major role in effecting policy change, including spurring the rejection of potential large-scale public land sales this past summer. Thanks to sustained outreach and advocacy, a growing number of lawmakers are stepping up to defend public lands and waters. New bipartisan caucuses for conservation and public land stewardship have also formed in both the House and Senate, signaling broader support for making public lands and waters a legislative priority. 

They say "However, an unprecedented array of threats remains, including a proposal this week from Utah Sen. Mike Lee as part of the Interior appropriations bill moving through the Senate that would open the door to national parks and other public lands being sold off or transferred. Other ongoing threats also include massive layoffs at the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other land-management agencies, which hamstring proper management of those resources, alongside efforts to roll back the Roadless Rule and ongoing interest in some quarters to sell off millions of acres of public lands."

Through the advocacy work of Outdoor Alliance’s constituency, solidarity and support for public lands and waters are playing a more important role than ever.  These are Outdoor Allies — people with a vested interest in the proper management and protection of public lands who are taking action to defend public lands.

“In 2025, public lands have been at constant risk of being sold off, developed, and underfunded,” said Adam Cramer, CEO at the Outdoor Alliance. “It has been incredible to see the dedication and commitment of the outdoor community in advocating for the places people love to get outside. The fight isn’t over. At Outdoor Alliance, we are committed to staying on top of the world of outdoor policy in D.C. and will continue to make it easy for you to take action when it matters most.”

Although 2025 was a monumental year in public lands and waters protection, the challenges facing outdoor advocacy will continue in 2026. Among many other initiatives, the Outdoor Alliance team will continue tracking ever-changing public land policy and initiatives, mapping threats to the outdoors, bringing key voices to D.C., alongside programs like its Grasstops Collective.

Heading into 2026, the Outdoor Alliance team has consolidated a list of current issues that the public can take action on today.

To learn more or support the Outdoor Alliance team, please visit www.outdooralliance.org.