Arizona Public Lands: A Controversial Debate
Republican Congressman David Schweikert has sparked significant discussion with his proposal to sell Arizona’s public lands if elected governor. This controversial idea, shared during a podcast interview on March 5, has been a long-standing interest among his donors, dating back over three decades.
Arizona is home to approximately 30 million acres of public land, accounting for nearly half the state’s area. These lands, often reserved for conservation purposes, serve as parks and protected forests. However, they have attracted interest from large corporations eager to utilize them for activities such as oil and gas extraction and luxury real estate development.
According to Schweikert, the state should establish a “rational, fair way” to transition these lands into private ownership to create economic opportunities.
The Arizona Wildlife Federation, an organization focused on land conservation, has expressed strong opposition to this concept. They caution that selling these lands could disrupt wildlife and negatively impact the state’s tourism sector.
The organization warns on its website, “Pressures to maximize revenues or monetize these lands result in fragmented habitats that no longer provide the necessary connections and corridors, or sufficient food, water, and shelter for wildlife. Once developed, there’s no turning back.”
Two major entities, Koch Industries and the National Association of Realtors, have been prominent advocates for selling these lands. Both have significantly supported Schweikert’s political campaigns, beginning with his 1994 run for the Arizona House of Representatives. The National Association of Realtors has contributed a total of $65,000, while Koch Industries has donated over $42,000 to Schweikert’s career.
Throughout his 15-year tenure in Congress, Schweikert has consistently opposed measures protecting public lands from private and corporate exploitation. He has voted three times against the Protect America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, which aimed to safeguard federal lands in states like Arizona from mining and drilling activities, including the Grand Canyon.
This legislation received bipartisan support in the House in 2021 but was ultimately blocked in the Senate by Republicans.
In 2019, Schweikert’s voting record includes two votes against prohibiting mining on public lands, leaving areas like the Grand Canyon and Chaco Culture National Historical Park vulnerable. Additionally, in 2017, he opposed a bipartisan amendment to prevent the sale or lease of public lands, which ultimately did not pass.
Schweikert is currently challenging Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who has made land conservation a central theme of her administration. Hobbs has publicly opposed a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) that would have resulted in the sale of millions of public lands in western states.
On Facebook, Hobbs stated, “Arizona is not for sale. The plan to sell public lands threatens over 14 million acres in Arizona, including treasured places like Mount Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, the sacred San Francisco Peaks, Horton Creek along the Mogollon Rim, Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Saguaro Lake, and Madera Canyon is reckless, shortsighted, and deeply out of step with Arizonans’ values.”
Schweikert remains a supporter of the OBBB. However, nearly three-in-five Arizona voters, according to a Colorado College poll, oppose the bill’s rollback of land protections.
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