Rep. Titus Introduces Resolution to Recognize National Public Lands Day

Rep. Titus Introduces Resolution to Recognize National Public Lands Day

Congresswoman Dina Titus introduced a resolution recognizing September 26, 2026, as National Public Lands Day, honoring the cultural, spiritual, and economic value of the 618 million acres of public lands in the United States and encouraging people to visit those lands on fee-free Public Lands Day. Representatives Gabe Vasquez and Juan Ciscomani joined the Congresswoman in leading this bipartisan resolution.

"Public lands are central to our national heritage," said Congresswoman Titus. "They are our common ground as Americans, owned by the people and preserved for generations. They include places that represent our culture and history, are engines for rural and national economies, and are hallowed ground for tribes. It is my hope that people will take this day to visit our forests, our wild and scenic rivers, our national monuments and conservation areas. It is a day to recognize the beauty of this nation."

"Public Lands are America's best idea. Americans of all political stripes have long fought to protect this sacred birthright, which belongs to us all. We must celebrate them and vigorously defend them at all costs," said Rep. Vasquez. "As a hunter and angler, public lands hold a special meaning for me, as they do for New Mexicans and Americans across the West. I encourage everyone to enjoy this Public Lands Day and fight to retain our unique American outdoor heritage."

"Our public lands are truly a national treasure," said Rep. Ciscomani. "For Arizonans, places like Saguaro National Park and the Chiricahua National Monument are more than beautiful landscapes. They are treasured parts of our local communities, our heritage, and our way of life. I'm proud to join this bipartisan resolution recognizing the tremendous value our public lands bring to great nation as we celebrate Public Lands Day. I'm grateful to have the support of the incredible organizations working to protect these special places and keep them accessible for the next generation of Americans to enjoy."

Resolution endorsed by: Get Outdoors Nevada, Friends of Avi Kwa Ame, Conservation Lands Foundation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), Nevada Conservation League, Indigenous Voices of Nevada, Trout Unlimited, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Save Our Canyons, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

"Public lands are a uniting force in our communities and our country, and we applaud the bipartisan leadership of Reps. Titus, Vasquez and Ciscomani in introducing a resolution that brings Congress together in recognition of National Public Lands Day and the importance of these treasured landscapes to all Americans." - David Feinman, vice president of government affairs, Conservation Lands Foundation

"Public lands are Nevada's greatest shared resource. We're grateful to Congresswoman Titus for championing National Public Lands Day and the fee-free access that lets every Nevadan experience the outdoors," - Christy Sakamoto, Executive Director, Get Outdoors Nevada

"For Indigenous peoples, public lands have never simply been places to visit. They are living homelands, woven into our histories, cultures, ceremonies, and responsibilities to future generations. They hold the footprints of generations who cared for them long before any boundary was drawn around them. That is why we are proud to support this resolution recognizing National Public Lands Day and the cultural and spiritual significance these places carry. Public lands belong to all of us, but our relationships with them are not all the same. For Tribal Nations, many of these landscapes are ancestral homelands, and recognizing their value also means recognizing the people who have loved, protected, and remained connected to them since time immemorial." - Barbara Hartzell, Member of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe and Executive Director of Indigenous Voices of Nevada

"Nevada's public lands are where our communities hike, hunt, gather, and heal. We thank Representative Titus and her colleagues for introducing this resolution and for recognizing the value these lands hold for every Nevadan. From the proposed East Las Vegas National Monument to the wild spaces across our state, the Nevada Conservation League will keep pushing until that value is matched with permanent protection." - Kristee Watson, Executive Director of Nevada Conservation League

"For generations, Hispanic communities across the Southwest have depended on public lands for our livelihoods, traditions, and ways of life. Our connection to these landscapes is grounded in querencia, a deep sense of belonging to the land, and herencia, the heritage we inherit and our responsibility to pass it on. HECHO proudly supports this resolution, which honors the cultural, historical, ecological, and economic significance of our public lands and the need to care for them for those who come after us." - Camilla Simon, Executive Director, HECHO

"Now, more than ever, it's critical for Americans to get outside and show their love and support for our treasured public lands. These rivers, canyons, mountains, forests, and all the lands in between are held in the public trust for all of us to use and enjoy. On this Public Lands Day, we must reaffirm that keeping these places open and accessible to the public is a core American value." - Kabir Green, Director of Federal Affairs for Nature, Natural Resources Defense Council

Congresswoman Titus has been a long-time champion of preserving public lands. From leading the charge to protect Gold Butte and Basin & Range to conserving Tule Springs, she believes that everyone has a responsibility to be good stewards of our nation's unique landscapes. In 2023, she also worked to secure a National Monument designation for Avi Kwa Ame, permanently protecting this sacred land in Southern Nevada.

In 2025, after Republicans tried to sneak provisions into the reconciliation bill to sell off 65,000 acres of land in Southern Nevada to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, Congresswoman Titus successfully removed the proposed land sale through an amendment. She also worked across the aisle through her position on the Public Lands Caucus to fight efforts to add large-scale public land selloffs back into the bill before it was sent to the President's desk. Congresswoman Titus also introduced bipartisan legislation, the Public Lands Integrity Act, which would permanently prevent public land sell-offs from being included in future reconciliation bills.

Under the Trump Administration, Congresswoman Titus has fought to protect National Monument designations from being rolled back or diminished. On February 14, 2025, she led Nevada's Congressional Democratic Delegation in a letter to Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum urging him not to roll back designations of National Monuments. She also opposed Stevan Perace's nomination to serve as the Director of the Bureau of land Management over concerns about his track record supporting public land sales.

In 2025, when the Interior appropriations bill was facing floor consideration, Congresswoman Titus introduced an amendment that would have prevented the Administration from diminishing, revoking, or reducing a National Monument designation.

Congresswoman Titus is also leading the fight to protect our public lands from data center developments. Most recently, on September 16, 2026, she introduced her Public Lands Accountability Act to ensure the public has a say in the federal permitting process for data centers on public lands and environmental effects are thoroughly evaluated.

The Public Lands day resolution notes:

· There are more than 85 million acres of national parks.

· There are approximately 38 million acres protected by 31 national monuments, 25 national conservation areas, and other designations.

· There are 263 wilderness areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

· There are more than 200 wild and scenic rivers in 40 states.

· There are 570 national wildlife refuges.

· Public lands managed by the BLM generated $252 billion in economic activity in 2024.and nearly 950,000 jobs.

· Outdoor recreation contributed $696.7 billion to the economy of the United States in 2024.