For over a hundred years, conservation has been a value held in high regard by a majority of Americans. But if Republicans have their way, all the lands we have fought to protect as National Parks will be handed over to private industry.

Last month, nearly every Republican in the US Senate voted on a budget amendment allowing states to seize public lands, which means every National Park in the country would be subject to the whims of state lawmakers who could authorize the selling of these lands to private industries for exploitation.

And by exploitation, that means deforestation of lumber resources, the privatization of freshwater sources, drilling and mining for oil and minerals, or used as dumping grounds for hazardous materials. In short, Republicans would be allowing private industries to buy and rape our public land reserves until they are unrecognizable.

The amendment, known as SA 838, was introduced by Alaska GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski. And it sailed through the Senate by a 51-49 vote with all but three Republicans in favor while every Democrat voted against it. A rival bill that would stop the effort to sell public lands was prevented from coming up for a vote.

Of course, Murkowski spun the amendment as a way to improve conservation.

“When we have an opportunity to consider this amendment, a vote for it is really a vote in support of — as a priority of this Congress — comprehensive approaches to land policies to facilitate economic development, empower States and improve our conservation systems,” she said.

Here’s a handy image via Gizmodo listing the Senators who voted for and against the amendment.

SNIP