Hundreds of elected officials from 11 western states have signed a letter urging Congress to protect public lands and take a “balanced approach” to federal land management. Several of those who signed the letter are officials from Central Oregon.

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler was a signatory on the letter, along with her predecessor Sally Russell. Others to sign the letter include Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang and Bend City of Bend Council members Ariel Mendez, Steve Platt and Mike Riley.

A total of 13 Oregon officials signed the letter. Dated March 26, it was sent to members of Congress and Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The letter declares that public lands are being targeted by the Trump administration for profit and lawmakers need to act to head off development.

“Protected public lands are the backbone of our mountain communities, and right now they are under threat, which is why we must fight back to ensure these critical resources are protected and preserved for generations to come,” the letter states.

The call from elected officials to change course comes amid a flurry of presidential orders and announcements by President Donald Trump in recent weeks that have raised alarm bells in communities across the West.

In February, President Trump and his right hand man Elon Musk attempted to slash spending by firing U.S. Forest Service probationary workers, many of whom play a role in preventing forest fires. Other agencies that supply critical information like weather alert and snowpack data — including the National Weather Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service — have also encountered budget and job cuts.

The letter comes in the wake of an announcement last month that the Department of the Interior and the Housing and Urban Development will coordinate a joint plan to use “underutilized” federal land to build housing. Tens of thousands of acres could be developed.

Burgum has promised to cut through red tape that makes it difficult to build housing on public lands.

Interior’s plan includes selling federal land within 10 miles of cities and towns with a population greater than 5,000 people. In Deschutes County, that rule could impact Bend and Redmond.

In their letter to Congress, the 300-plus signatories allege that U.S. lawmakers are looking for ways to privatize federal land.

Mendez called Trump’s rhetoric on public land “a real threat” and said it would be a mistake to discount the president’s comments.

“We are fortunate in Oregon to have so many public lands and once they are gone, they’re gone forever,” said Mendez.

Thinking about this administration’s priorities, I would ask whether it makes sense to sell off public lands to fund the first trillion dollar Department of Defense budget or tax breaks for wealthy people who don’t really need them. It would be comical if it weren’t so serious,” Mendez adds.

Mendez said selling off public lands for housing wouldn’t work in Oregon because there isn’t much interest in building public housing outside of cities. State rules on building may also get in the way of Trump’s plans.

“There’s not really a state path that would allow that. So state law would prohibit that more than likely,” said Mendez.

Responding to a question posed by The Bulletin regarding the sale of land near Bend, the Department of the Interior said it “will evaluate lands based on their potential to support housing while ensuring responsible stewardship.”

Federal officials say a Joint Task Force will “inventory underutilized federal properties and facilitate their transfer or lease to states or localities to address housing needs, ensuring affordability remains central. Details regarding member selection, representation from various sectors, and operational timelines will be announced in the future.”

The letter from local elected officials — organized by The Mountain Pact, a non-profit based in Truckee, California — also mentions that public lands and public health are threatened when environmental protections are weakened and federal land is used for fossil fuel development. Loss of protections contributes to the climate crises due to the release of potent greenhouse gasses, the letter states.

“We know that opening more lands and waters for oil drilling won’t lower energy prices and the United States is currently producing more oil than at any point in history,” according to the letter.

“Rather, by protecting our public lands and reducing oil and gas leasing, we can mitigate the climate crisis that is significantly impacting our communities, local farmers and ranchers, our outdoor recreation and tourism economies, and overall public health and well-being.”

The letter concludes with a plea to fully fund public lands and oppose their sale in a budget reconciliation package. It also protests any attempts to change the Antiquities Act of 1906, which empowers the president to protect federal land from development, or reduce the size of national monuments.

Increased funding is needed for managing public lands to improve public access and protect wildlife, water, indigenous cultural sites and recreation areas, according to the letter.

“Now more than ever we must continue to take and support meaningful actions to both address the climate crisis and protect our public lands. We urge you to continue to support the protection of healthy public lands and take strong climate action,” the letter states.