US Edition
Plan to sell public land in Oregon, Washington and 9 other states hits roadblock in Senate
UNITED STATES, JUN 24 – Senate parliamentarian ruled Sen. Lee's proposal violated budget rules, blocking plans to sell 2.2 to 3.3 million acres of Western public lands for housing and revenue purposes.
- On June 23, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that Senator Mike Lee's 11-page land disposal proposal violated Senate budget reconciliation rules and could not advance as written.
- Lee’s proposal to sell millions of acres of federal land across 11 Western states—excluding Montana—intended to finance tax reductions and encourage housing development but encountered widespread bipartisan resistance and procedural challenges.
- After the ruling, Lee announced reducing the scope by removing U.S. Forest Service lands and limiting sales to Bureau of Land Management properties within five miles of population centers to protect farmers and recreationists.
- Critics warned that the proposal threatened public access to hunting and outdoor areas supporting local economies, and housing advocates cautioned federal lands are often unsuitable for affordable housing development.
- Despite the ruling and widespread criticism, Lee pledged to revise and continue pushing the proposal, while advocates called for vigilance to protect public lands amid ongoing policy challenges.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Proposal to sell 5M acres of public land in WA ruled out of GOP bill
A plan to sell off hundreds of millions of acres of U.S. public land, including in Washington, is no longer on the table. The Senate parliamentarian found the initiative violated the chamber’s rules and removed it from the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” The Associated Press (AP) reported Tuesday. Senate Energy Chairman Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, had proposed selling public land in western states for affordable housing. However, R…
Sen. Murray calls on outdoor enthusiasts to oppose public land sales in WA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has voiced strong opposition to a plan proposed by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to sell off public lands in states including Washington.
washingtonstatestandard.com
Public land sale plan covering millions of acres in WA derails in US Senate
A sign at one of the boundaries of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service)A Republican proposal in the U.S. Senate that could have put millions of acres of public land in Washington up for sale has hit a roadblock, but the lead lawmaker behind the idea is planning to press ahead with a scaled-back version. This piece of a sprawling GOP tax cut and spending bill would have required the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the…
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