Public Land Sale Amendment Removed from House Bill

Public Land Sale Amendment Removed from House Bill

A highly specious amendment proposed by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-Nevada) and Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) to sell nearly 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada has been struck down.

The controversial amendment–​​basically, what amounted to a backdoor land sale–not only would have authorized the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of public land, but was being done so without any environmental review, stakeholder analysis or public opinion. It aimed to expedite the disposal of public lands for various purposes, including infrastructure projects, mining, economic development and affordable housing.

Not surprisingly, and aided by a groundswell of hunter, angler and outdoor industry opposition, the House Rules Committee stripped the provision from the sweeping tax and spending cuts proposal on Wednesday night, May 21, 2025.

The “last minute” provision faced strong opposition from a wide range of groups, including lawmakers from both parties, conservationists, sportsmen and public land advocates. Critics argued that the sale of public lands through the budget reconciliation process would set a dangerous precedent, bypass public input and divert funds away from established conservation efforts. Concerns were also raised about the potential for increased sprawl and reduced access to public lands.

A recent statement from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: Public Lands Victory.

“These provisions, introduced at the last second during the House Natural Resources Committee markup of the bill by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT), would have set a dangerous precedent for public land policy, circumventing existing public land sale authorities like the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA), and providing no reinvestment in conservation or public access.”

Some real-world (budget) perspectives from Chris Wood of Trout Unlimited: Keep Public Lands in Public Hands.

“In recent years, the push has been to ‘return’ public lands to the states. This is a fallacious idea. At no time did Western public lands belong to the states. They were acquired through treaty, conquest or purchase by the federal government acting on behalf of all the citizens of the United States.

It is also a bad idea for keeping public lands public. Western states have historically sold their public lands: Utah has sold 55 percent of its state trust lands; Nevada 99 percent; and Colorado 38 percent. We should expect nothing different if public lands are managed by the states.”

If you’re interested in fighting for public lands (you should be), here are some great organizations to learn about and support: Public Lands Need Your Help.

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.” Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire.