A draft proposal from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee would authorize the sale of up to three million acres of public land—potentially including large areas in Utah—as part of a broader Republican-led budget plan.
The proposal appears in a draft of the Senate’s reconciliation budget, released this week by the committee.
What does it say?
The budget language, introduced by committee chair Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, instructs the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to identify lands for potential sale based on proximity to roads, existing development, and housing potential.
The proposal excludes national parks, designated wilderness areas, and monuments—but includes lands currently used for grazing under federal permits. The Republican leadership on that Senate committee released a glossy, professional video.
Eligibility would be determined by federal agencies, prioritizing parcels that are isolated, near existing infrastructure, or considered suitable for housing. The bill does not identify specific parcels—at least not yet.
What would this mean for Utah?
Utah has roughly 18.7 million acres that could qualify under the proposed guidelines—more than any other state. That includes areas near Moab currently used for camping, grazing, and recreation.
Lee has described the proposal as a chance to “open underused federal land to expand housing, support local development, and get Washington, D.C., out of the way,” calling it a way to “make government smaller, freer, and work for Americans.”
How would it work?
Here’s how the process would unfold, if approved:
- Federal agencies identify eligible lands
- State and local governments are notified and can opt in
- If public entities decline, private parties can nominate parcels
- Sales must occur at “fair market value”
- Lands sold would permanently leave federal ownership
If the bill moves forward, specific parcels wouldn’t be made public until late 2025 at the earliest.
What’s next for the proposal?
A Senate vote on the reconciliation budget—including Lee’s proposal—is expected before July 4.
If Lee’s broader language survives Senate approval, it will likely face a tougher fight in the House. U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy recently advanced a plan to sell 11,500 acres of BLM land in southwestern Utah to local authorities—but it was struck from the House bill after bipartisan resistance
Former Interior Secretary and Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke was among those who opposed the plan.
“It’s a no now. It will be a no later. It will be a no forever,” he said when Maloy’s amendment was dropped. “Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn’t creating more land.”
Why it’s important in Moab
No lands have yet been selected or approved for sale, but groups like the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance have warned that parcels near popular recreation areas like Sand Flats and Labyrinth Canyon could qualify under the bill’s criteria. Once land leaves federal ownership, public access and environmental protections can shift dramatically.
However, some local officials have signaled openness to developing public land to ease the local housing crisis.
At a June 17 county commission meeting, Grand County Republican Chair Lynn Jackson said fears that “massive areas of public lands are going to be sold off” were overblown.
“It’s simply not the case,” Jackson said. “Most people—including myself—would never go for that.”
He pointed out that the draft bill prioritizes parcels nominated by state and local governments that are adjacent to existing communities, have road access and infrastructure, and are suitable for residential housing.
“This is strictly to find areas and lands adjacent to communities,” he said. “The bill is very specific—it’s to be used for housing.”
Utah lawmakers have a long history of pushing for control of federal land.
In 2012, the Utah Legislature passed the Transfer of Public Lands Act, demanding the federal government relinquish millions of acres—though that effort wasn’t implemented, it continues to shape the conversation today.
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