PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – WASHINGTON (AP)—A proposal to dispose of over 3,200 square miles of federal land has been eliminated. Republicans' major legislation for reducing taxes and expenditures following the Senate parliamentarian ruling that Senator Mike Lee's proposal would break the chamber’s guidelines.
Lee, a Republican from Utah, has suggested selling off millions of acres (8.300 square kilometers) of public land in the western part of the country. to states Or other entities for serving as housing or infrastructure. The proposal aims to rejuvenate an enduring aspiration among Western conservatives to surrender territories for local management following a comparable suggestion being rejected by the House earlier this year.
Lee’s plan has revealed sharp disagreement among Republicans Those supporting large-scale transfers of federal assets to boost development and increase revenues, along with other legislators—including Republican senators from Montana and Idaho—who strongly oppose such actions.
The proposal follows the announcement by the Trump administration on Monday that they plan to proceed with moving to revoke a 2001 regulation that prohibited logging On land within national forests, the so-called roadless rule has upset Republicans, particularly in Western states where expansive, mountainous woodlands dominate the landscape and the logging sector has declined.
Democrats and environmental organizations strongly object to both proposals, viewing them as handouts to corporate entities that could jeopardize clean water supplies and wildlife while also restricting recreational access to public lands.
"Democrats won’t remain passive as Republicans try to manipulate the budget reconciliation process to dispose of federal lands, aiming to finance tax cuts for millionaires," stated Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon, who holds the position of senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.
Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington State, a Democrat, stated that the people she represents wish to continue hiking and hunting on public lands, just as they've done across the Western region for many years. "These individuals do not desire these areas to turn into exclusive retreats or golf courses," she remarked during a press briefing on Tuesday.
The Republican supporter isn't backing down.
Lee posted on X Monday evening stating he remains determined to continue his efforts.
"Housing costs are overwhelming families and preventing many young Americans from staying in their hometowns," he stated, noting that an updated proposal would exclude all U.S. Forest Service lands from potential sales. He also mentioned that transactions involving areas managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would decrease substantially, with only parcels located less than five miles from populated areas being eligible for sale.
Environmental supporters cheered the decision announced by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough late Monday but warned that Lee’s plan was still far from being finalized.
This marks a triumph for the American people, who made their stance unmistakably clear: Our public lands should remain under public control for both present and upcoming generations," stated Tracy Stone-Manning, the president of The Wilderness Society. "We firmly believe our national treasures are not up for grabs.
Carrie Besnette Hauser, who serves as both the president and CEO of the non-profit organization Trust for Public Land, described the recent procedural decision made within the Senate as "a significant triumph in our efforts to safeguard American public lands against narrow-minded plans that could undermine years of collaborative bi-partisan endeavors aimed at protecting, managing, and increasing accessibility to these communal spaces."
"But let there be no doubt: this danger has not subsided," Hauser emphasized. "The attempts to undermine our public lands persist, and we have to stay alert as several propositions currently being discussed progress." She noted that these include efforts to revoke the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act and reduce financing for conserving land and water resources, all of which are moving through legislative channels.
A parliamentarian’s decisions are seldom overlooked.
MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, dismissed numerous additional proposals led by Republicans late Monday, which included building a mining access route in Alaska as well as modifications aimed at expediting permits for drilling oil and gas on federally owned land.
While the parliamentarian’s rulings These advisories are seldom, if at all, disregarded. lawmakers are employing a budget reconciliation procedure to circumvent the senate filibuster for passage. President Donald Trump’s tax-cut plan by a self-set July 4 deadline.
According to Lee’s strategy, property across 11 western regions spanning from Alaska to New Mexico could become available for purchase. The state of Montana was excluded from this initiative following objections raised by local legislators. In areas like Utah and Nevada, federal authorities oversee most territories, safeguarding these zones against possible development yet impeding progress.
"Time and again, Washington has demonstrated its inability to effectively manage this land. This bill places it under more capable hands," Lee stated when unveiling the proposal earlier this month.
The proposal received a varied response on Monday from the governors of western states Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico highlighted issues in her state due to the strong bond residents share with public lands.
The Republican governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, expressed conditional backing. "Individually...we could permit certain responsible developments in regions that are currently surrounded by existing settlements," he stated during a gathering of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Housing advocates have warned that federal land is not always appropriate for affordable housing development. Under a proposed bill in the House, some properties being offered for sale in Utah and Nevada are located far away from established urban areas, specifically several miles distant.
Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Senator and the leading Democrat on the energy panel, stated that Lee’s proposal would deny Americans access to areas used for fishing, hunting, and camping.
I'm not convinced that we would actually obtain significant housing from this," Heinrich stated earlier this month. "What I do know is that individuals would be denied access to locations they are familiar with and cherish, which play a crucial role in driving our Western economy.