Opinion: Public lands are Alaskans’ birthright, not tradable for a one-time payout

I have only lived in Alaska for 24 years, but have a lifetime of Alaskan adventure under my belt. During my time here I have worked as a biologist, field archaeologist, lodge owner and wilderness guide. In my off time, I have explored thousands of miles by dog team training for and running the Iditarod and Yukon Quest among other races, floated hundreds of miles of wild rivers, and hiked hundreds of miles of tough terrain. I have filled my family’s freezer yearly from the abundant fish, wild game and berries this land has to offer … every single one of these activities have been done almost exclusively on our public lands. Public lands are more than lines on a map, as Alaskans, we are tied to the land for food, economic benefit and recreation. These public lands are our shared inheritance, our greatest privilege — and our most fragile asset.

So when Congress tries to sell them out from under us, we pay attention.

Buried in the Senate Budget Reconciliation Bill, H.R.1, is a clause that originally would have mandated that the federal government make between 2.2 million and 3.3 million acres for over 250 million acres of public lands available for sale. That includes drawing from at least 82 million acres in Alaska alone. You can view these lands on a chillingly detailed interactive ArcGIS map. While the Senate parliamentarian removed this provision, at least one senator is seeking to revive it.

Under the original plan, you may find some of your favorite places in Alaska illuminated like a for-sale sign in our front yards. I see sections of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest trail, ready to be blocked, I see my little private remote lodge property completely surrounded by lands to give away, I see the spots where my family gets its food, I see the spots where we take clients on dog mushing expeditions. Mainly, I see my Alaskan life being erased by senators with no clue what these lands mean to many.

Supporters of this public lands sell-off frame it as a way to reduce the federal deficit, return lands to the people, and to create “affordable housing.” But Alaskans are too smart to fall for that. These lands already belong to the people. Selling them is not “returning” them — it’s liquidating them. For private interests. Forever. The majority of these lands in Alaska are far from population centers and any housing that would be created would be far from affordable. New housing developments would need roads, infrastructure, and services which currently do not exist. Eligible lands close to population centers are already heavily used for recreational purposes and bring immense benefits to these communities.

What do we get in exchange? Practically nothing. According to the Wilderness Society, the estimated revenue from these sales is negligible compared to the $459 billion that outdoor recreation contributes annually to the U.S. economy. Alaska’s share of that pie is substantial. Our guiding businesses, lodges, outdoor gear shops, bush pilots, and even small-town gas stations and restaurants depend on the access and abundance that public lands provide.

The loss goes far beyond economics. Once these lands are privatized, access is likely to be shut off. No more family hikes to berry patches, no more hunting camp with the friends, no more snowmachine access across snow-covered valleys. Subsistence communities — especially Alaska Native villages already navigating land constraints — would bear the brunt of these closures. It’s a direct threat to food security and cultural traditions.

Maps published by Field & Stream, Outside Magazine, and High Country News show just how widespread this threat is. From the Brooks Range to the Wrangells, from Interior trapping trails to Southeast’s Sitka Blacktail country, the lands on the chopping block are your lands. And the proposal was not vague. The text of H.R.1,Section 20305, explicitly instructs the Department of the Interior to identify federal lands “suitable for disposal” — a designation often made with little regard for public recreational use, hunting and habitat value, or subsistence rights.

This is not the first time we’ve had to defend public lands from attack—and it won’t be the last. But the scale of this threat is historic. Alaska has more public land at stake than any other state and this isn’t stopped now, we risk losing access to the very places that define who we are.

This really is a nonpartisan issue. Every outdoor enthusiast in Alaska is a public land owner and should be paying attention. Millions of acres of Alaskan opportunity are at risk of being able to be sold to the highest bidder. Alaskans will not trade 100-year access for a one-time payout. Our lands are not a budget line. They’re a birthright. They are what makes us Alaskan.

Cody Strathe is a professional dog musher who owns a remote lodge in the Alaska Range. He splits his time between Cantwell and his lodge.