Supporting Public Lands and Waters, Even During a Shutdown

This past fall, despite a government shutdown, American Whitewater continued our work meeting with decision makers in Washington, D.C., and advancing the protection of our public lands and waters. Our team partnered with outdoor recreation and conservation leaders on three trips to the nation’s capital, meeting face-to-face with lawmakers to discuss the value of public lands, the importance of the public voice in hydropower licensing, conservation priorities for rivers, and the effects of agency staff reductions and shutdowns on river management.

In partnership with coalitions like Outdoor Alliance and the Hydropower Reform Coalition, we had a busy fall–holding more than 100 meetings with both Republicans and Democrats. Our goal was to strengthen outdoor recreation and conservation priorities across the country.

“With the longest federal shutdown in history and ongoing staffing shortages at our land management agencies, it’s more important than ever to show up and make our voices heard,” said Thomas O'Keefe, Director of Policy and Science, of American Whitewater. “Outdoor recreation remains one area where we can have constructive, bipartisan conversations—and where our advocacy truly makes a difference. Even in a challenging political climate, we’ll continue to look for opportunities to protect access and the health of our rivers, and to ensure that agencies have the resources they need to care for these special places.”

Our meetings focused on several key policy priorities:

Keeping public lands public: At a time when some lawmakers are proposing to sell off or give away public lands, American Whitewater joined Outdoor Alliance partners in reaffirming that these lands belong to everyone. We made a point of thanking Republican offices that spoke out against Senator Lee’s proposal to sell public lands, recognizing their leadership in defending public access and ownership. 

Protecting outdoor recreation: We emphasized the importance of maintaining the Roadless Rule, which the USDA has proposed to rescind—a move that would strip protections from 45 million acres of National Forests and the rivers that flow through them. While some congressional staff were less familiar with this issue, our discussions underscored the continued need for public education and engagement to safeguard these critical landscapes. We received commitments from Republican offices to engage with the Administration on the impacts of the proposed rescission of the rule on backcountry recreation.

Defending agency capacity: Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern about the loss of staff capacity across federal land and water management agencies. Understaffed agencies struggle to implement landmark policies like the EXPLORE Act, manage recreation sustainably, and maintain essential infrastructure. We highlighted the importance of rebuilding and retaining this workforce to ensure effective stewardship.

Securing funding for the outdoors: There was strong bipartisan interest in reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), a cornerstone of the Great American Outdoors Act that has supported millions of dollars in deferred maintenance projects on public lands. Many offices voiced support for advancing a clean reauthorization bill in the next year to keep these investments flowing.

Expanding the Wild and Scenic Rivers System: Legislation we’ve championed to protect the Gila, Montana Headwaters, and Wild Olympics Rivers remains a top priority, along with conservation opportunities for the Dolores River, Owyhee Canyonlands, Kalmiopsis region in Oregon, and rivers in California. We met with our bill sponsors and with staff from both parties on the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees to discuss pathways to pass these locally supported river protection bills.

Dam Safety and Public Voice in Hydropower Licensing: American Whitewater continues to lead efforts to ensure that hydropower policy reflects both public and environmental values. While some Members of Congress have sought to narrow public participation or limit the authority of resource agencies responsible for aquatic health and recreation, we are working to modernize the hydropower licensing process in ways that preserve the public’s voice and uphold environmental safeguards. Our goal is to create a more predictable and efficient process—especially for project surrender and decommissioning—while ensuring that dam safety and river restoration remain priorities. We also see opportunities to advance legislation that strengthens dam safety programs and provides more consistent funding for agency staff overseeing hydropower projects.