Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sen. Mike Lee announced he would withdraw language forcing the sale of more than a million acres of public lands from the sprawling Republican budget reconciliation bill.
The move comes after Lee previously failed to win approval from the U.S. Senate parliamentarian to include an earlier version of the proposal in the bill.
The withdrawal of the language brings to an end the quixotic journey of the controversial provision, which would have made millions of acres of public lands across the West eligible for sale to private developers. The latest version of Lee’s proposal would have forced the sale of as much as 1.2 million acres across 11 states to private developers.
The proposed sell-off of millions of acres of public lands was met with overwhelming public opposition since it first emerged during initial budget reconciliation talks in May. Language introduced to the House version of the “one big, beautiful bill” by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), which would have sold off hundreds of thousands of acres of landscapes in Nevada and Utah, was forced out after a revolt led by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT). Weeks later, Lee’s sell-off proposal, which would have forced the sale of as much as 3.3 million acres of public lands across the West, faced immediate backlash from Americans across the political spectrum. It was also ruled out of order by the Senate parliamentarian.
In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:
“From the moment Mike Lee first introduced this proposal, Americans across the political spectrum have made it clear they oppose selling off the natural heritage of our public lands to fund tax cuts for billionaires – not now, not ever. This is a victory for everyone who hikes, hunts, explores, and cherishes these places, but it’s not the end of the threats to our public lands. Donald Trump and his allies in Congress have made it clear they will use every tool at their disposal to give away our public lands to billionaires and corporate polluters, whether it’s Mike Lee’s fire sale, leasing them to Big Oil CEOs for pennies on the dollar, or gutting the permitting and oversight process for industrial development. This fight isn’t over, and we are going to keep working to keep the ‘public’ in public lands.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.