Across the rural United States today, especially in the West, counties and communities are being driven into poverty and devastation because of the mismanagement of federal land by distant, unaccountable bureaucracies. A May 2017 report by the Wall Street Journal showed that America’s rural communities rank worst in the country measured by unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, poor health, and poverty. That is no coincidence.

At the same time, wealthy foundations and the outdoor recreation industry are funding so-called “conservation” and “sportsmens” organizations to run glitzy publicity campaigns opposing reforms that would enable better local management of public lands. They intentionally misrepresent and skew the debate. Their agenda ignores the harsh reality of the situation and conveniently never mentions the plight and suffering of ordinary people in our country’s rural communities.

American Lands Council is the only national organization working exclusively to advocate for better, more accountable, locally driven management of America’s public lands.

The work of American Lands Council to challenge and reform the failing federal management model is needed now more than ever.  In fact, ALC is now working to encourage federal agencies and their managers to work more effectively with counties and states across the nation. To do that, we urgently need your support. (Click here to donate now!)

ALC encourages federal land managers to work together with our counties, rural communities, timber, ranching and mining industries to advocate responsible management of our federal and state public lands. While ALC knows the ultimate solution is to institute greater local control of how our public lands are managed, we also recognize the need to work on a host of other immediate reforms to support rural economies, protect land based livelihoods, and restore funding to schools. 

In order to accomplish this, ALC is committed to working with all who seek viable solutions to our current unsatisfactory land management situation. We believe responsible land management includes logging, grazing and mining because revenues from these industries support the proper care of our lands as well as benefit our rural communities.