With forests in the West on fire, and national parks facing crowding problems, Western senators are urging their Eastern colleagues to include "significant funding" for the Interior and Agriculture departments in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill being crafted in the U.S. Senate. 

In a two-page letter (attached below) sent Friday to Sens. Chuck Schumer, Joe Manchin, and Bernie Sanders, 13 senators spoke of the importance of making "federal investments in our public lands and how these natural treasures support local economies and jobs, recreation, agriculture, and clean air and water."

"As horrific wildfires rage, extreme drought worsens, and wildlife become more imperiled, it’s incomprehensible to leave Interior Department programs out of the budget reconciliation package and tribes underfunded,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

“We need every tool available to address the climate crisis and strengthen community resilience, especially on our public lands which play an essential role in creating jobs, addressing climate change, naturally sequestering carbon, and securing our outdoor heritage for future generations. As Chairman (Raúl) Grijalva, Senator (Ron) Wyden, Senator (Mark) Heinrich, and all of the members across the West have made clear, we cannot leave our public lands, wildlife, and tribes behind.”

The senators' letter said it was "imperative that the Budget and Budget Reconciliation process include significant funding for the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest programs within the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources jurisdiction. Without that funding it will appear the American West, and the millions of people who call it home, have been abandoned at a time when the rest of the country is seeing generational investments in their future."

"...More needs to be done to support and improve our national treasures to be enjoyed for generations to come," they added. "These investments keep us from loving these places to death while giving our country the economic boost it needs. As families across the country struggle to make ends meet, a major federal investment in the restoration and sustainable management of our public lands would make a difference."