Think the Public Lands Sell-Off Scheme Is Dead? Not So Fast

Outdoor advocates were quick to celebrate this week when the Senate Parliamentarian struck down Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) proposal to force a massive public lands sell-off, ruling it unrelated to the budget bill in which it was included.

But while that decision marked a procedural victory, it hasn’t ended the broader fight for public lands. Lee immediately vowed to try again — and by mid-week, had already introduced a revised version of his sell-off plan.

The original proposal, introduced in the Senate after a similar plan was stripped from the House of Representatives’ version of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Act, would have mandated the sale of between 2 and 3 million acres of federal land in the West. Public backlash was critical in stopping it, a fact many advocacy groups have rightly celebrated.

Outdoor recreation advocacy group Outdoor Alliance stresses that unprecedented levels of public engagement have played a key role in stripping sell-off plans from both the House and Senate versions of the bill.

But the fight is far from over, and there’s a risk that continued efforts to defend public lands could lose steam in the aftermath of this interim victory, right when the public needs to be doubling down.

“Outdoor Alliance is worried about losing momentum at this juncture, given how intense this process has been,” said Tania Lown-Hecht, Vice President of Communications at Outdoor Alliance. “Senator Lee may be counting on the idea that people won’t be paying attention after the previous debate or that people won’t stand up for close-to-home recreation on BLM lands in the same way that they would for massive sell-offs of Forest Service land.”

What You Need To Know About the Modified Proposal

Lee’s revised proposal now calls for the sale of between 612,500 and 1.2 million acres owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — a reduction in scope from the 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres of Forest Service and BLM land that were initially slated for sale. The sales would also focus on land parcels near urban areas and would earmark any lands sold for housing and infrastructure development. 

“No one supports selling public lands that are environmentally sensitive or part of national parks or important wilderness areas,” wrote Senator John Curtis (R-UT) in a statement supporting the sell-off. “But it’s a false narrative to say we can’t return some federal lands surrounding developed areas back to local, rural communities to ensure they remain livable.

Yet outdoor recreation and conservation groups remain firmly opposed. “Outdoor Alliance’s view is that selling off 3.3 million acres is not okay, selling off a million acres is not okay, selling off half a million acres is not okay. Public lands are part of our heritage … and once we lose them, we don’t get them back. It’s important that the outdoor community keep the pressure on and make sure lawmakers are still hearing this message,” said Lown-Hecht. 

According to Outdoor Alliance, the lands now slated for possible sale include significant outdoor recreation resources. “Senator Lee just won’t take no for an answer,” said CEO Adam Cramer. “This proposal puts close-to-home BLM recreation at extreme risk.”

The Parliamentarian’s decision was an important win for public lands advocates, but the fight isn’t over. With a new version of the proposal already in play, advocates say now is not the time to step back.

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Featured image: The beloved Lunch Loop trail system near Grand Junction, CO is among the BLM lands slated for possible sale in Lee’s updated provision. Photo via the Bureau of Land Management.