On Oct. 28, a group of eight bipartisan U.S. senators announced the formation of the Senate Stewardship Caucus, an informal group of lawmakers focused on public lands conservation and management. Co-founded by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT), the list of inaugural members includes Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Katie Britt (R-AL).
Heinrich, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is joining forces with Sheehy to “protect and expand access to public lands, recover wildlife, restore habitat, and make sure that the places that inspire us can continue to inspire future generations,” according to a statement Heinrich sent to Field & Stream via email.
Sheehy’s office did not immediately reply to Field & Stream’s request for comment on the caucus formation, although he's been forthcoming in the past about his position against public land sales. In a press release about the caucus, he referred to public lands as “a purely American institution” on which Americans can “find common ground in working together to better manage, conserve, and steward these treasured landscapes while driving economic growth and supporting our resource and agricultural economies.”
Heinrich emphasized the caucus’ focus on finding what he calls long-lasting, science-based solutions to conservation issues. “These landscapes are where we hunt, fish, and recreate, and for many, these places are sacred and part of a proud legacy and land ethic,” Heinrich writes. “They serve as an economic engine for rural communities across the country, providing jobs and powering local communities.”
Caucuses are informal member groups of lawmakers who share certain interests and agendas. They “enable Members to exchange information and ideas with colleagues, and can facilitate interactions among Members who might not otherwise have opportunities to work with one another,” according to a report from the Congressional Research Bureau.
The alliance mirrors a similar group formed in the U.S. House of Representatives in May by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Rep Mike Simpson (R-ID). The House Public Lands Caucus has since grown to include 18 other representatives and is dedicated to “protecting access to public lands, expanding recreation opportunities, and ensuring these spaces are preserved for future generations.” This rhetoric is notably similar to that cited by Heinrich and Sheehy—a sign that the two caucuses could end up pushing similar legislative agendas in both chambers of Congress as the debate over the role of federal public lands carries on.
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Nature is Nonpartisan, founded by conservative environmentalist and author Benji Backer, hailed the formation as a sign of more effective lawmaking ahead. “Eight senators dedicated to protect America’s most naturally beautiful spaces through durable, bipartisan policy have come together to create the Senate Stewardship Caucus,” reads a caption on a Nature is Nonpartisan Instagram post. “Even when America feels more divided than ever, conservation is a place of consensus.”
