Trump proposal to sell off public lands sparks bipartisan outrage

The Trump administration announced its plans this week to sell off federal lands to states, tribes, and local governments, sending Republicans and Democrats alike into an uproar.The public land sales were detailed in the Interior Department’s four-year strategic plan released this week, which omitted key details about how much the agency wishes to sell off, what areas could be targeted, or when the sales will take place.“The Department will work to decrease the size of the federal estate by offering to states, localities and Tribes the opportunity to purchase federal lands,” the Interior Department said in the 28-page document. “Through these sales, the Department will be able to focus its resources on primary federal responsibilities and nationally significant federal lands.” Public land sales have historically not been popular among Republicans or Democrats, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick to criticize the proposal.“We are seeking information from the Administration on this proposal. Our office was not consulted on this,” Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said in a post to X. “Last year, I stopped the sale of lands in the One Big Beautiful Bill. I will not allow ONE ACRE of Montana land to be sold.”“As Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee next Congress, I will fight efforts to sell off or privatize our public lands,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner.“Two summers ago, I led the successful fight to stop an unprecedented proposal to sell off millions of acres of public lands, and I will do it again,” Heinrich continued. “These lands belong to the American people, not private interests looking to cash in. Public lands belong in public hands.”Pumpjacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., on April 24, 2015. (AP Photo) Other members, including Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), and Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), who served as Interior Secretary under the first Trump administration, have also confirmed their opposition to public land sales.Additionally, environmental and conservationist groups across the political spectrum such as the Sierra Club, Center for Western Priorities, Nature is NonPartisan, the Sagebrush Institute, Save our Parks, and more are united in opposing the land sell-off.Under current law, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management is permitted to sell public lands in specific circumstances.This includes if the land is no longer needed for federal purposes, if it has become difficult or uneconomic to manage, or if it would serve a vital public interest.The Federal Land Policy and Management Act does require that a sale of more than 2,500 acres must be sent to Congress, which has the authority to approve or veto a sale.BLM rarely uses this authority, and often a land disposal has been offset by a public land addition, such as through a land transfer or exchange.DAILY ON ENERGY: PUBLIC LAND SELL OFF BLASTED ACROSS THE SPECTRUMBetween 2014 and 2023, BLM sold or transferred approximately 1.08 million acres of land, and it acquired 291,400 acres of land, according to data compiled by Resources For the Future.Some individuals and groups have advocated for transferring or selling some public lands to the states, in some cases to allow for infrastructure or housing development.“However, this maneuver could be seen as a Trojan horse to privatize all public land in the US,” Gabriella Hoffman, director of the Center for Energy and Conservation with Independent Women, told the Washington Examiner via email.“Only 28% of all US land is publicly managed. The rest is privately owned,” she added. “Without public lands, many Americans have difficulty accessing land for fishing, hunting, and other recreational opportunities.”Republican lawmakers, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), proposed selling roughly 3 million acres of public land to pay for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed last summer.The proposal was fiercely opposed by Democrats and other Republicans in Congress, and it was ultimately removed from the tax and spending bill.A separate measure for selling public lands in Utah and Nevada was also stripped from the original House version of OBBBA earlier last year.“Selling off our public lands is nearly universally unpopular,” Maya Cohn, vice president of policy and external affairs at United by Nature, told the Washington Examiner.“Last year, people came together from every point on the political spectrum to demand the removal of a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill that would sell public lands,” she added. “The vast majority of Americans want to keep public lands in public hands. Republicans — like everyone — in particular value hunting, fishing, camping with their families, and hiking the trails and backcountry that public lands offer. Conserving our public lands is deeply rooted in our American history and values as a nation.”Cohn warned that under federal law there aren’t any provisions that would prevent a state, local government, or other entity from purchasing federal land and then immediately selling it to the highest bidder.“And we know there are private companies that want to get access to these tracts, and this administration has already tried to facilitate exchanges with them,” Cohn said. “Without clear safeguards, our beloved public lands could be turned into data centers or luxury resorts!”It remains unclear exactly what tracts of public land are at most risk of being put up for sale, though it would likely not encroach on “nationally significant” lands such as National Parks.PUBLIC LAND SALES PROVISION AXED FROM GOP MEGABILL BY PARLIAMENTARIANHoffman suggested that BLM lands and other areas bordering wilderness areas could potentially be at risk.Interior did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s inquiry.