Utah Senator Plans Sale of Millions of Western Public Acres

Senator Mike Lee has reintroduced a controversial proposal to sell between 2.2 million and 3.3 million acres of federal public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service across 11 Western states, excluding Montana. The plan aims to generate revenue to help pay for extensions to President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, with land sales prioritized near high-growth areas suitable for residential housing and community development. Nevada politicians, including Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, criticized the proposal for ignoring existing models like the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which directs land sale revenues back to state programs such as education and water conservation. Environmental groups and public land advocates argue the sales risk access to public lands and undermine local input, particularly as some lands targeted are remote with insufficient infrastructure for affordable housing. The proposal requires consultation with state governors, local municipalities, and tribes, and grants states and local governments priority to purchase nominated parcels. The renewed push for land sales has heightened tensions among Western lawmakers, reflecting ongoing debates over federal land management and funding priorities under the Trump administration's budget plans.