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Senate Debates Plan to Sell Millions of Acres of Federal Land

The Interior Department has been tasked with identifying underutilized Bureau of Land Management–US Forest Service lands for sale under the tax reconciliation bill to address the nation’s housing shortage

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FILE: Brandon Nash hikes in the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyo., on May 1, 2024. Large swaths of the Bridger-Teton National Forest are eligible for sale in a Senate GOP public land sale proposal.

Overview

  • The Senate is considering President Trump’s tax reconciliation bill with a land disposal provision and a vote could occur as early as next week.
  • The proposal directs the secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to select 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent of BLM and USFS lands in 11 western states—approximately 2 to 3 million acres—for sale over five years.
  • Federally protected areas including national parks, monuments and wilderness zones are exempt, but analysis shows more than 250 million acres remain eligible for sale under the draft legislation.
  • Supporters project the land sales would generate $5 billion to $10 billion in revenue over a decade and help expand the housing supply, while critics warn the plan favors wealthy developers and lacks affordability safeguards.
  • Over 150 conservation and sportsmen’s groups alongside some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Ryan Zinke, oppose the provision citing risks to recreation, wildlife habitat and local economies.