Senate Republicans are reviving a contentious proposal to sell an expansive range of federal land as part of President Trump's significant new tax and spending legislation, inciting discord within the party itself. This initiative would direct the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to pinpoint and sell off approximately 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres of public land across 11 Western states, with the aim of constructing new housing communities.
These past attempts to auction public land have drawn the ire of conservationists and sparked internal tensions among Republican lawmakers. A previous effort to divest around 500,000 acres in Utah and Nevada was withdrawn from the House's version of the tax proposal due to backlash led by Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana, a prominent Republican and former interior secretary. Zinke voiced his strong opposition to the sales, stating, "This was my San Juan Hill; I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back."
The latest proposal has been included in a draft bill released by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, positioned as part of Trump’s "big, beautiful bill." It projects potential revenues of up to $10 billion derived from land sales dedicated to housing development in states such as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming over the next five years. Interestingly, Montana—Zinke’s home state—has notably been left off this target list.
Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah and chairman of the energy committee, has defended the initiative, contending that it would convert “federal liabilities into taxpayer value while making housing more affordable for hardworking American families.” The proposal remains fraught with complexity, exemplifying the intricate balance between development aspirations and conservation necessities within U.S. policy.
