Senate Republicans Introduce Language Into the One Big Beautiful Bill to Sell Off 2.5 Million Acres of Public Lands in Eleven Western States

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2025

CONTACT: Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director, Nevada Wildlife Federation: Kuhlman@nvwf.org 

Senate Republicans Introduce Language Into the One Big Beautiful Bill to Sell Off 2.5 Million Acres of Public Lands in Eleven Western States

NEVADA- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has introduced a proposal to sell up to 2.5 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service Land within eleven western states. After being very tight lipped for days, Utah Senator Mike Lee has drafted a proposal to sell public land in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. 

According to Senator Lee, the reason behind the sale is to address the affordable housing crisis that many western states are facing due to rapid human population growth throughout the west. However, in the latest polling of Nevadans, 90% of Nevadans take advantage of public lands near them, and a majority rate conservation and recreation aspects of national public lands as more important than other economic uses such as housing and warehouse developments. 

“Yet again, decision makers in Washington D.C. are making deals behind closed doors and excluding the public on how to manage our public lands,” said Russell Kuhlman, executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation. “We already have processes in place to deal with the sale of public lands to address housing in the west which includes public participation. Circumventing nearly 50 years of tradition and trust in order to sell land to the highest bidder is not a precedent our decision makers should be making. I urge the Senate to listen to the hunters, anglers, hikers and other public land users that make up the majority of westerners that want this proposal removed from the reconciliation bill.”  

About Nevada Wildlife Federation: The Nevada Wildlife Federation is an affiliate of National Wildlife Federation and the oldest statewide conservation organization dedicated to sustaining Nevada’s wildlife through conservation and education.

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