US EditionHouse Committee removes public lands amendment from budget reconciliation bill
- The House Rules Committee removed an amendment on May 6 that would have sold over 500,000 acres of federal land in Utah and Nevada from the Republican budget reconciliation bill.
- The provision, introduced by Representatives Amodei and Maloy in early May, encountered considerable resistance from legislators, conservation advocates, and hunting enthusiasts who were against transferring public lands out of federal control.
- Lawmakers behind the amendment argued the land would support infrastructure, mining, and affordable housing, but critics warned it could set a precedent for similar sales across Western states like Colorado.
- A 2025 Colorado College survey of 3,316 voters in eight Rocky Mountain states found less than 25% support selling public lands for housing, while advocates like Michael Carroll said the move might shield sales from sufficient public debate.
- Though removed from the bill, the land sale concept remains a threat as public lands advocates vow to continue opposing future attempts to include sales in broader legislation.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Tribune editorial: Clear policy needed on sale of public land
As part of the Trump administration’s tax cut package, the House Natural Resources Committee included at least 460,000 acres in Nevada and Utah to be sold or transferred to local governments or private entities. A bipartisan effort to strike the…
The Fort Morgan Times
Congress almost sold off 500,000 acres of Western public lands. What could that mean for Colorado?
As Congressional lawmakers sought to pay for tax cuts over the past few weeks, they turned their eyes to the vast swaths of mountains, foothills and high plains across the Mountain West owned by the federal government and saw a piggy bank. Lawmakers on Wednesday ultimately removed from the Republican budget bill a provision that would have sold more than 500,000 acres of federal public land in Utah and Nevada, but public lands advocates worry th…
Controversial pipeline provision removed as expected, group says • South Dakota Searchlight
A sign opposing carbon dioxide pipelines stands alongside an eastern South Dakota farm field in July 2024. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)A coalition of groups opposing a multi-state carbon dioxide pipeline celebrated the removal of controversial language from the budget reconciliation bill passed Thursday by the U.S. House. Last week, the groups raised alarms about a provision they said would have allowed federal regulators to approve na…
House Tax Bill Accelerates Public Lands Resource Exploitation
The debate over provisions in the recently approved House tax legislation (Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill) has numerous environmentally destructive provisions which I will get to in a moment. However, one victory amid the unbridled promotion of resource development was the removal of an amendment that permitted the sale of 450,000 acres of public lands across […]
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