The U.S. Senate, by a slim three-vote margin, has approved public lands being sold to reduce the federal deficit as well as the total acreage managed by federal land management agencies. During a late-night session April 4, 51 senators voted against an amendment that would have blocked the sale of public lands.

All but two Republicans —Senator Daines and Senator Sheehy, both of Montana — voted against the anti-sell-off amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and six other Senate Democrats.

“This vote is a wake-up call, and part of a concerning larger campaign being waged against public lands at every level of government, including mass firings of land managers and executive orders that demand more drilling and mining,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, president of The Wilderness Society and former Director of the Bureau of Land Management. “It appears their ultimate goal is to destroy our conservation heritage, totally contrary to what Americans actually value. People want continued access to our public lands and expect them to be protected for wildlife and future generations, not sold off to the highest bidder.”