KLAS: Public lands sale morphing as obstacles emerge; Utah senator vows revised plan

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A second attempt by Republicans to sell off millions of acres of public land hit a snag on Tuesday, but the fight is a long way from over.

Both sides of the issue were aired vigorously in social media posts that followed a Monday night ruling that eliminated Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s amendment to the “one big, beautiful bill.” A number of other proposals were also stripped from the reconciliation spending bill that intends to raise enough cash to pay for extensions to tax cuts created during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Lee immediately said he would revise his proposal, which included plans to sell up to 3.3 million acres of public lands in Nevada alone. He believes that removing U.S. Forest Service land from the proposal and focusing on Bureau of Land Management property will reduce opposition to the amendment.

“We need to dispel once and for all the myth that the federal land footprint” cannot be changed, Lee told the Salt Lake Tribune.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) addresses reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 to introduce the America First Act.

But Democratic Nevada Rep. Susie Lee issued a statement criticizing the Senate proposal, saying it misses its stated goal of addressing the affordable housing shortage while failing to work with anyone else.

“I agree that we need to lower home prices and boost the housing supply. That’s why Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and I have introduced our bipartisan Clark County lands bill, which would help do just that — but in a targeted and thoughtful way directed by Southern Nevadans, protecting our iconic public lands and water supply,” Susie Lee said.

“What I don’t agree with is YOUR backroom plan, crafted without meaningful local input or bipartisan collaboration, to simply sell off millions of acres of public land across the West at breakneck speed to the highest bidder. I’m glad that the Senate parliamentarian has ruled to pull it from the GOP budget bill, particularly after a bipartisan group of us came together to stop a similar effort in the House,” she said.

“For decades, the law has made sure that proceeds from federal land sales in Nevada stay in Nevada to invest in our water infrastructure, schools, and parks. Some Republicans in Congress have been trying to change that so they can pay for billionaire tax breaks in their Big Bulls*** Bill. Not on my watch.”

Mike Lee said his new proposal would significantly reduce the amount BLM land that would be sold, limiting it to property within five miles of existing population centers. But he also injected more political rhetoric into the plan, saying it would: “Establish FREEDOM ZONES to ensure these lands benefit AMERICAN FAMILIES.” He also vowed to protect farmers in the process of deciding which lands are eligible.

The plan has revealed sharp disagreement among Republicans. While some have backed it, conservationists have blasted away at it. A letter signed by 100 groups was submitted in opposition to the plan.

A similar plan floated by Republican Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei was dropped when there were signs it might cost some votes in the push to pass the “one big, beautiful bill” in the House.

The Wilderness Society, which received details of Mike Lee’s initial proposal, said, “This is a victory for the American public, who were loud and clear: Public lands belong in public hands, for current and future generations alike. We trust the next politician who wants to sell off public lands will remember that people of all stripes will stand against that idea. Our public lands are not for sale.”

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) questioned Sen. Mike Lee’s motives.

“Sen. Lee backtracking here shows his true intentions,” said CBD’s Laiken Jordahl. “His legislation was always about destroying public lands anywhere and everywhere, privatizing cherished recreation destinations and locking away these beautiful places for the ultra-rich. No one should believe his lies now, and any backroom deals to rewrite his legislation will still be a disaster for public lands. Sen. Lee doesn’t care about America’s real housing crisis, his legislation will still do nothing to solve it, and his bill will still be an unprecedented giveaway of public lands to special interests that is overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people.”