Policy Corner California Defends What's Ours

Bryan Pride • January 20, 2026

Last year tested us. We watched as the administration attempted to auction off millions of acres of public lands, an unprecedented attack on places we’ve fought to protect for decades. We saw rollbacks of critical environmental protections and threats to lands that belong to all of us. 


But we also showed up. Together, as a community, we rallied, we organized, and we pushed back against some of the most aggressive land sell-offs ever proposed. And we won some of those fights. 


In December, just before Congress recessed, Senator Padilla introduced the Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act, a beacon of what’s possible when we refuse to give up. This isn’t just another bill. It’s a statement that California is refusing to let our public lands become bargaining chips. 


The PUBLIC Lands Act would protect over 1.7 million acres of California public lands throughout northwest California, the Central Coast and Los Angeles County. That protection includes 550,000 acres of new wilderness and nearly 700 miles of wild and scenic rivers. It includes provisions for forest restoration and fire resilience on another 871,000 acres, work that is desperately needed.


This package pulls together three essential bills: 


Congressman Huffman's Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forest Act, which protects 484,733 acres and 479.8 miles of rivers, old-growth forest, salmon streams and wild places that define the North Coast. 


Representative Carbajal’s Central Coast Heritage Protection Act secures 385,842 acres including critical habitat in Los Padres National Forest, home to California Condors and threatened watersheds. 


Representative Judy Chu’s San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act that protects 35,335 acres, expanding access to nature for millions of Angelenos who live in communities with some of the lowest park access in the country despite having mountains right in their backyard. 


The PUBLIC Lands Act matters because it’s happening now when our public lands face their greatest threats. Our champions in Congress aren’t waiting for a better political moment, they’re fighting for these places when the fight matters most. 


We will be tracking this bill closely and keeping you updated as it moves through Congress. In the meantime, call your representatives and thank Senator Padilla, Representative Huffman, Representative Carabajal and Representative Chu for introducing this legislation. Let them know you support it. Our voices help move good legislation through Congress, especially when the opposition is loud. 


 If 2025 taught us anything, it's that defending our public lands isn’t a one-time battle. It’s the work we do together, every single day. 


Bryan Pride

Tuleyome Policy Director

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