SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After indicating that he would reintroduce a provision to the “big beautiful” budget bill that would approve the sale of public lands, the text of the Energy and Natural Resources section of the bill from Senator Mike Lee has been leaked. It would make over 18 million acres of public lands in Utah alone eligible for sale over the next five years.
According to analysis performed by The Wilderness Society, the bill will require the sale of at least 2 million acres of public lands, making 258 million acres of land across the West and 18.7 million acres in Utah eligible.
The Wilderness Society also created an interactive map of areas that would be affected by these land sales.
As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Lee released the text of the Energy and Natural Resources section of the budget reconciliation bill on June 11, but the updated text was leaked on June 16.
“This is President Trump’s agenda: cut the Green New Scam, reduce the deficit, and unleash American energy,” Senator Lee said of the bill. “We’re cutting billions in unused Biden-era climate slush funds, opening up energy and resource development, turning federal liabilities into taxpayer value, while making housing more affordable for hardworking American families. This is how we make government smaller, freer, and work for Americans.”
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources said that this bill will “put America on a path to energy dominance” by “restoring quarterly lease sales for domestic energy producers,” “generating over $15 billion in federal revenue through expanded oil, gas, coal, and geothermal leasing,” and “ensuring states and counties benefit from energy projects on federal lands.”
The bill will reportedly also allow “responsible development” in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, National Petroleum Reserve Alaska, and offshore Alaska.
According to the leaked text, each fiscal year, the Secretary of the Interior will sell at least 4 oil and gas leases in each of the following states: Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Alaska.
Section 0301 of the bill details the “mandatory disposal of Bureau of Land Management land and National Forest System land for housing” in 11 states, which are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
According to the bill, federal lands chosen to be sold must be nominated by local or state governments, be adjacent to existing developed areas, have access to existing infrastructure, and be suitable for residential housing.
There are other restrictions in the bill on what federal lands can be sold. Land that is federally protected, “subject to valid existing rights,” or not in an eligible state cannot be sold. Federally protected land includes national monuments, national recreation areas, national parks, national preserves, and lands part of other national systems such as the National Wildlife Refuge System or the National Trails System.
The original provision for public land sale introduced by Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) was extremely controversial and deeply unpopular among environmental groups and other outdoor and recreation enthusiasts, though it is important to note that many local Utah leaders supported the provision. It was ultimately removed from the “big beautiful bill” in May.
Lee’s version of the public land sale provision has also proven to be controversial.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance released a statement in response to the bill, which condemned it as a way to “pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.” The full statement can be read below.
Senator Lee’s never-ending attacks on public lands continue. His hostility stands in stark contrast with Americans’ deep and abiding love of public lands. Senator Lee’s plan puts Utah’s redrock country in the crosshairs of unchecked development. In Utah and the West, public lands are the envy of the country – but Senator Lee is willing to sacrifice the places where people recreate, where they hunt and fish, and where they make a living – to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, our members, and our partners will work to defeat this Bill.”
Travis Hammill, DC Director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
SUWA also highlighted several “spectacular and popular” areas that would be affected in a statement to ABC4.com. These areas would include wilderness study areas, hiking and mountain biking trailheads, important habitat for big game, and inventoried roadless areas.
Per SUWA, some specific areas in Utah that would be affected include:
According to the Wilderness Society, this bill “includes a range of extraordinary giveaways aimed at privatizing public lands and advancing energy dominance at the expense of public lands and resources.”
It “forces the arbitrary sale of at least 2 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in 11 Western states over the next five years, and it gives the secretaries of the interior and agriculture broad discretion to choose which places should be sold off,” the Wilderness Society continued.
Several recreation groups and outdoors enthusiasts have spoken out about the bill on social media. One Instagram account urged “sportsmen, outdoorsmen, and recreation enthusiasts” to “start calling every senator” about the bill.
The Mule Deer Foundation posted a statement on Instagram, “The Mule Deer Foundation values America’s public lands, essential for our hunters’ access to pursue mule deer and black-tailed deer in the West. We are concerned about the Senate’s reconciliation bill provision mandating that potentially millions of acres would be sold or transferred, as it lacks transparency and public input. We urge a thoughtful, transparent process that safeguards our hunting heritage while addressing land management challenges.”
GoHunt, an outdoor equipment store, posted a video message for Senator Lee, calling the bill an “outright betrayal to every American,” and urged followers to call senators and urge them to oppose the bill.
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership also urged Instagram followers to contact senators and tell them to remove public land sales from the budget reconciliation.
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife posted a statement to their Instagram, expressing “strong opposition” to the sale of public lands. “We firmly believe that public lands are vital to preserving our hunting heritage and maintaining the natural beauty and resources of our country,” they wrote, and they also urged followers to contact their senators.
Kunce's appointment follows the resignation of the city's previous choice, Scott Fisher, who left the…
USB Type-C has become the standard for charging and data cables alike, so it's good…
Best Buy is offering an excellent deal on a gaming PC that can comfortably run…
National Weather Service will be presenting a new seminar series later this month, focusing on…
The Rockford Fire Department says an afternoon house fire left a dog dead and displaced…
A K-nine officer with the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office is set to receive a new…
This website uses cookies.