Overview

• The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s draft reconciliation bill directs Interior and Agriculture secretaries to dispose of 0.5–0.75 percent of BLM and Forest Service lands in 11 Western states, totaling 2.2 to 3.3 million acres over five years.
• The proposal exempts 15 categories of protected land, including national parks and wilderness areas, yet The Wilderness Society’s analysis shows up to 250 million acres could be designated eligible for disposal.
• Lee’s committee projects $5 billion to $10 billion in revenue and claims land sales would boost housing supply, but the draft contains no lasting requirements for affordability or density.
• Outdoor recreation and conservation groups, along with off-road racing and fishing industries, warn the sales could erode access, cost local jobs and bypass public and tribal input.
• Some Senate Republicans, including former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, oppose large-scale land sales even as President Trump endorses releasing federal land to address housing needs.