Senate Resurrects Public Land Sell-off

Senate Resurrects Public Land Sell-off

The recent Senate proposal to sell 3 Million acres of public land is a joke, but it’s no laughing matter.

Senate Republicans, through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee led by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), have reintroduced and significantly expanded a proposal to sell off millions of acres of U.S. public lands. This comes after a similar, though smaller, provision was removed from the House version of the budget reconciliation package last month due to widespread opposition.

While the House version initially proposed selling around 500,000 acres in Utah and Nevada, the Senate proposal now mandates the sale of between 2 million and 3.3 million acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service. This would apply across 11 Western states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming (with Montana being the only Western state excluded from this particular provision).

Proponents speciously argue that the land sales are intended to address the “affordable housing crisis” in the West and generate revenue to offset other parts of a larger budget reconciliation bill, potentially including tax cuts.

You need 3 million “free” acres to manage the states’ affordable housing challenges?

This doesn’t even pass a basic sniff test.

Just for perspective and so the average person can understand how much land we’re talking about, 3,300,000 acres, or 5,156 square miles, is roughly the size of Connecticut (5,543 square miles), or the states of Delaware (2,489 square mile) and Rhode Island (1,545 square miles) combined.

From Flylab and Angling Trade founder Kirk Deeter:

“My friend Chris Wood, the CEO of Trout Unlimited says it’s like playing Whack-a-Mole. Every several years, the specter of selling off public lands rears its ugly head, and every time thus far, thankfully, the notion is beaten back when people realize:

• Outdoor recreation is equal in size or greater than oil and gas drilling as an economic driver, and most of that happens on public land. In other words, we’re ALREADY utilizing those lands for benefit in a way that is sustainable.
• The money that might be raised by selling off public lands is a drop in the bucket (relative to the national debt), and not a realistic solution for any budget crisis.
• The majority of Americans not only appreciate their public lands, they’re also proud to have them. And they know that once they’re gone, they’re gone.

To Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), who’s spearheading the latest effort to sell off 3 million acres in the West, it’s a spectacularly stupid idea that makes the average hunter, shooter, angler, hiker, biker, skier, paddler and many others wonder where the motivation comes from.”

Where does the motivation come from? Money, resource extraction and political fealty.

Here’s what Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has to say about the land grab…

“This isn’t about budget reconciliation or affordable housing. This is a fraudulent scheme to swindle American citizens out of our shared legacy,” said Patrick Berry, President and CEO for BHA. “Our public lands are not disposable assets and the gaslighting campaign claiming this is somehow a solution to a housing crisis is an insult to all of us. Our lands are the physical inheritance of generations of Americans who fought to keep public lands in public hands. We owe it to those who had the vision to create this irreplaceable American ideal–and to those who stand to benefit from our stewardship–to tell our elected officials: united we stand for public lands.”

More information:

BHA Condemns Senate Proposal to Sell Off Up to 3 Million Acres of Public Lands

Take Action With BHA Today

Contact Senator Mike Lee from Utah to voice your disapproval about his “spectacularly stupid” effort to sell your public lands, so he can profit from them.

Contact Mike Lee