WYOMING — On Wednesday, June 11, the U.S. Senate released a provision in President Trump’s H.R.1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act that calls for the sale of approximately 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres of federal land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service.
H.R.1 passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22, by a vote of 215-214. The bill is now being reconciled by the U.S. Senate before consideration by President Trump.
According to the tax and spending bill, lands in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming could be sold off for energy and/or housing development over the next five years.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the proposal that would authorize the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. In a video accompanying the newly released provision, Lee argues that the federal ownership of public lands hinders local communities.
“Nearly one out of every three acres in America is owned by the federal government,” Lee said in the video. “Almost 70% of our land is controlled by Washington D.C. … that’s not serving the American people who live here.”
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition wrote via press release that the privatization of federal lands could lead to the loss of public access, negatively impact local economies and result in development that harms wildlife habitat and water resources.
“Our national public lands are not a luxury, they’re our legacy,” Greater Yellowstone Coalition Executive Director Scott Christensen wrote. “These are outdoor spaces that connect us to each other, fuel the economies of western states and provide clean drinking water to millions of Americans downstream. Once these lands are sold off, they’re gone forever.”
WyoFile reported that Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), along with conservation groups and hunter advocacy organizations, have expressed concerns that the mass sell-off would jeopardize hunting and outdoor recreation.
A section in H.R.1 would also rescind funds to protect old-growth forests on National Forest land. The bill would require “the Forest Service to direct timber harvests on certain public lands in amounts that equal or exceed the volume that is 25% higher than the average volume sold on such lands between FY2020 through FY2024.”
The bill would also repeal Environmental Protection Agency rules that regulate greenhouse gas and multi-pollutant emissions standards, as well as “funding for a variety of programs that provide incentives to monitor and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases.”
