We advocate for a fully funded Forest Service.
The U.S. Forest Service is undergoing significant and unprecedented changes. KEEN is vitally concerned about the long-term capacity for the agency to carry out its responsibilities to effectively steward our public lands.
The Forest Service manages 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands – 193 million acres that belong to all Americans. Honoring that mandate requires a fully funded, fully operational agency with the expertise and scientific grounding to manage our shared lands. Any disruption to that capacity is something we take seriously.
Public lands are not a backdrop for KEEN – they are the reason we exist. For over 20 years, we've partnered with The Conservation Alliance and many other environmental organizations to advocate for the protection and funding of public lands and continue to do so today.
Since 2003, KEEN has donated over $20 million in cash and product donations to important causes that align with our values through our KEEN Effect Grants program. This year, we will be increasing our contribution to protecting public lands.
1. Make Your Voice Heard
Ultimately, decisions regarding how the U.S. Forest Service will be funded will be determined by the Senate and House Interior and Environment Appropriation Subcommittees. Those members are:
Senate:
Jeff Merkley (OR)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
Martin Heinrich (NM)
Jon Tester (MT)
Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV)
John Hoeven (ND)
Bill Hagerty (TN)
House:
Mike Simpson (ID)
Chellie Pingree (ME)
Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
Susie Lee (NV)
David Joyce (OH)
Chuck Fleischmann (TN)
Mark Amodei (NV)
If you live in any of these states, please reach out to your representative listed above and express your support for a fully funded Forest Service. And spread the word in your community – raise awareness through social media and writing letters to the editor.
2. Support Local Conservation Groups
Volunteer or donate to groups involved in protecting public lands, such as KEEN partners Runners for Public Lands and Forest Park Conservancy.
Public lands belong to all of us. Let's keep it that way.
