Washington, D.C. (May 21, 2025) — More than 500,000 acres of public lands could be up for sale after lawmakers in the House Natural Resources committee passed a late night amendment as part of budget reconciliation, a sprawling bill that also includes a number of threats to conservation and the public process. The public land sales were introduced at midnight during a markup, without notice, review, or debate. The bill could pass the full House later this week.
The amendment, introduced by Reps. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) authorizes land sales managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, with little explanation of why these particular parcels were chosen or how the sales would benefit the public. Outdoor Alliance’s GIS Lab has a preliminary analysis of these lands which is in excess of 500,000 acres, far more than the originally reported 11,000 acres. In Nevada, there are more than 400,000 acres earmarked for disposal or exchange, and our analysis shows that proposed sell offs in Utah are places where people frequently ride, climb, hike, and paddle.
The maps include mountain biking and OHV trails in the Hurricane Cliffs, climbing in Coral Canyon Ridge, the Green Valley race course, a world-renowned bikepacking route called the Plateau Passage, and the Virgin River which is popular for camping, paddling, and whitewater in Nevada and Utah.
Unfortunately, the land sell-offs are just one part of what’s wrong with this bill. It also includes language that would allow extractive industries to bypass NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act) and judicial review; it would mandate offshore oil and gas drilling; it would give timber companies greater control over public lands; it cuts funding and staff at the Park Service; and it would open up the headwaters of the Boundary Waters for mining, putting America’s most-visited Wilderness at risk.
“From weakening public input, to polluting iconic recreation areas, to outright selling public lands, this reconciliation bill would have far-reaching consequences for outdoor recreation across the U.S. Outdoor Alliance recommends that lawmakers reject the bill as written and instead advance a more holistic vision for public lands that supports recreation access and sustains the $1.2 trillion outdoor economy,” said Jamie Ervin, Senior Policy Manager at Outdoor Alliance.
A number of Republicans in the House have expressed strong opposition to public land sales remaining in the bill, including Ryan Zinke (MT-02) who has said, “I cannot and will not vote to sell public lands.”
Public lands and outdoor recreation are valued by Americans of every stripe, who want to see the outdoors protected—not stripped for parts. While Outdoor Alliance supports balanced use on public lands and waters, the current reconciliation bill is a giveaway to industries that threaten both short and long-term values on public lands.
This bill is expected to move through the full House this week, which gives the public a small window to act. Outdoor Alliance has established a quick-action form to help send personalized letters to their members of Congress. If lawmakers hear loud and clear that their constituents oppose public land giveaways and NEPA rollbacks, there’s a real chance to strip some of the most damaging outcomes for public lands from the bill.
To learn more, please visit www.outdooralliance.org.
About Outdoor Alliance
Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. A nonprofit coalition comprised of 10 national advocacy organizations, Outdoor Alliance’s members include American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. By working with its member coalitions and helping mobilize the involvement of individuals to protect public lands and waters, OA helps ensure public lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. Outdoor Alliance — conservation powered by outdoor recreation. Learn more at OutdoorAlliance.org.
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