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One of the most controversial provisions in the Congressional reconciliation negotiations are proposals to sell large portions of federal land. In the One Big Beautiful Bill, House Republicans cut a proposal to sell thousands of acres of land in Utah and Nevada. But now, some U.S. Senators have proposed selling more than 2 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service by 2030.
The federal lands are held in trust for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people. The American Conservation Coalition strongly opposes broad-based federal land sales because they risk damaging the American interest. Such an action would not only risk reducing access for hunters, anglers, and hikers, but also forfeit major pieces of the American nation’s financial assets and natural heritage.
To understand the purpose of the federal lands, it’s critical to examine their history. Land held by the United States dates back to the American Revolution. During the war, the states agreed that because newly-acquired territory was won with their “common blood and treasure,” they would be held by the national government. Congress declared these lands would be managed “for the benefit of all the United States.”
Today, almost 30% of the United States land area is held by the federal government under the same mission: to benefit the entire nation. This includes lands managed by the National Park Service, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Defense. But the majority of the federal lands are managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Both agencies are tasked with a mandate to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Congress tasked both agencies to manage for multiple uses and sustained yield. Those include timber harvesting, recreation, grazing, and energy and mineral development while also prioritizing natural, cultural, and historical resources. Today, these lands are open for all Americans to enjoy, and they provide crucial resources for America’s biodiversity heritage, including big game migration corridors and endemic habitat for native species. The lands also provide revenue for the country from leases and royalties, generating tens of billions of dollars for American taxpayers every year.
Even with restrictions for protected areas, selling an arbitrary amount of federal land in broad-based auctions would be a mistake. Big game habitat, wilderness study areas, and inventoried roadless areas would be eligible for sale under the Senate proposal, risking loss of resources for Americans who have enjoyed the land and its ecosystems for generations. Lands with massive potential for mineral, energy, grazing, and timber use would also be eligible for sale too. Selling these lands would forfeit America’s ability to generate revenue from these resources each year.
Instead, Congress and land management agencies should prioritize the entire nation’s interests first when making federal land policy. Many federal lands have been mismanaged for decades, with massive backlogs in maintenance in the national parks, national forests, and BLM lands. Years of environmental review and litigation have exposed our federal lands and rural communities to massive wildfires. Misguided grazing regulations have hampered public land ranchers from innovating stewardship practices. And permitting delays have prevented critical energy infrastructure development.
Any federal land sales that do happen should be limited and highly targeted to certain areas that will support or minimally impact public access, ecosystem health, and public revenues. President Trump has proposed studying which parcels adjacent to urban areas could be suitable for affordable housing, and President Biden sold a small amount of federal land for housing around Las Vegas. Any further actions should prioritize the interests of the entire American people and adjacent communities.
America’s leaders have an opportunity to improve federal land management for the benefit of the entire country. By streamlining energy leasing and permitting, we can generate more revenue and deliver energy abundance. By charging international visitors a surcharge at national parks, we can increase sustainable funding to conserve the parks. By working with public land ranchers, hunters, and private landowners, we can improve ecosystem outcomes, public access, and support domestic agriculture. These management improvements and more will support the ultimate mission of the federal lands: the benefit and enjoyment of the American people.