This Land is Your Land

Public Lands are in the news again and on the chopping block, as Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, released an updated draft of the legislation as part of the Administration's budget bill that calls for the mandatory sale of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service Land. If passed, the legislation would require the sale of 3 million acres of public land, chosen from a pool of 258 million acres across 11 Western states. It is essential to note that Montana's public lands are not on the table following a deal reached between representatives from that state and the author of this legislation. All other Western states have land featured in this proposal.

It is also important to note that this amendment was removed from the House Bill before it was passed due to public input and opposition.

While National Parks and Monuments are spared from this new legislation, other recreational areas are not, meaning your favorite off-grid camping spot, hiking trail, or secret fishing hole might someday feature a private property sign. All of this is concerning and currently blowing up social media with beautiful photos of special places "under threat," but what does it really mean?

The overall impact of selling 3 million acres from an inventory of 258 million doesn't seem like a big deal, in fact, the sale is capped at less than .75%, but where does it stop? Remember 1969, when the Social Security Trust Fund surpluses were used to finance other government expenditures? Like I said, where does it stop? 

Well, that's the question. The bill is presented as a solution to the affordable housing crisis, but most of the land is unsuitable for housing or, at the very least, inconvenient. It is also very unlikely to be affordable. That is, of course, unless you own a private helicopter and want to have the only McMansion within hiking distance of a National Park. This means buyers will likely be affluent individuals seeking the next Vail, Aspen, or Breckenridge, wanting to get in on the ground floor and potentially putting these public lands far out of public hands.

"Nominally aimed at providing land for housing, the bill allows the Trump administration to define what land uses qualify under the bill's vague restrictions while failing to provide a clear mechanism for enforcement. Even lands sold for housing would carry no requirements for affordability or density, and there would be no significant guardrails to prevent valued public lands from being sold for trophy homes, pricey vacation spots, exclusive golf communities, or other developments."  

Drew McConville - American Progress (Read the whole article here)

There are numerous variables regarding how this bill would impact our use of some of our favorite places; most of them relate to other existing protections that could provide legal avenues to prevent the sale. Lawsuits are inevitable and would delay any development for years unless, of course, all the laws protecting these lands were ignored by the state and federal Governments. As this is how the government seems to work these days, anything is possible.

The other justification for this legislation is funding the Administration's budget, which, even with the sale of public lands, significant cuts to Medicaid, FEMA, and a long list of other social and humanitarian services, is estimated to add $1.8 to $3.3 trillion to the deficit by 2034.

So, it's about money, specifically a tax cut. Taking cash out of the public pocket and giving it to those billionaires who bought and paid for those people we all thought worked for us. It's also about control of the narrative. This Administration is famous for throwing shit on the wall and seeing what grabs our attention for a news cycle while they work some other backroom deal and cut away at the Constitutional balance of power. There have been numerous breaking stories over the last six months, leaving most of us feeling overwhelmed, numb, and frankly, discouraged.

That is, until last Saturday, and the No Kings Day protest. An estimated 13+ million people across the USA demonstrated that we are not alone, that America still cares, and is willing to stand up to injustice. It's time for all of us to get involved. There are hundreds of battles to fight, so pick yours. Education, Medicaid, Medical Research, Immigration, Public Lands, Equal Rights, International Relations, whatever; if you care about something, it looks like a good time to fight for it. It's a good time to speak up.

Below is a one-page copy of the proposed Public Land legislation. Read it. Google it. Learn about what it means to you, your favorite places, and future generations, then act. Call 202.224.3121 to voice your concerns. Reach out to your representatives in Congress, let them know how you feel. Perhaps you agree with the proposal, or maybe you don't. Maybe you trust politicians to do what's right for America, or possibly you don't. The important thing is, we all have the right to share our opinions and work to build the America we want. Personally, I want Public Lands to stay in public hands. This current legislation does not offer enough protections for the Public's best interests, and once the sales start, how do we stop them? These lands belong to the people, all of the people.

One Pager June 11, 2025

MANDATORY DISPOSAL OF BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LAND AND NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND FOR HOUSING

For more information, contact [email protected]

Background: There is a nationwide shortage of 4.5 million houses and a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available homes. The Federal government owns nearly a third of the country, with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owning over 245 million acres and the Forest Service (FS) owning 193 million acres. Effectively, none of this land can be used for housing. In the West, this means that the federal government is depriving our communities of needed land for housing and inhibiting growth. President Trump recognized the connection between federal land ownership and the housing crisis, which is why he pledged to “open up portions of federal land for large-scale housing construction.” Also looking to tackle this problem, Secretaries Burgum and Turner created the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing. This proposal allows a fraction of 1% of federal land to be used to build houses. In doing so, it will create thousands of jobs, allow millions of Americans to realize the American dream, and reduce the deficit and fund our public lands.

Summary of Proposal:

• Requires BLM and FS to sell a minimum of 0.5% and a maximum of 0.75% of their estates for housing and associated community needs. This will increase the supply of housing and decrease costs for millions of Americans.

• Creates a process for interested parties, including States and units of local governments, to nominate land for disposal to meet housing and community needs. This process includes consultation with Governors and Indian Tribes and allows States or units of local government to have a right of first refusal to purchase land.

• Prohibits the sale of lands with special designations, such as National Parks, National Monuments, wilderness areas, or national recreation areas. Prohibits the sale of any land where there is a valid existing right, including mining claims, grazing permits, mineral leases, or rights-of-way.

• Requires receipts from sales to go the Treasury, other than o 5% which will go to the unit of local government where the parcel is sold for essential infrastructure directly supporting housing development or other associated community needs; and o 5% which will go to deferred maintenance of BLM and FS lands in the state where the lands are sold. o Any funds that States are owed under existing law.

• Requires all conveyances to be completed within five years of enactment and appropriates $5,000,000 to BLM and $5,000,000 to FS to ensure that all sales and conveyances occur in a timely manner. This proposal is estimated to generate $5 to $10 billion during the 2025-2034 period. This proposal is central to relieving the housing crisis, fulfilling President Trump’s housing and public lands agenda, and creating jobs and strong economic growth in the West.