Congress Proposes Mass Public Land Sales

Senate reconciliation bill includes provision to dispose of 2–3 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands across 11 states

Over 250 million acres of public lands, including Wilderness Study Areas and critical habitats, would become eligible for sale with minimal exemptions

This measure threatens iconic intact landscapes and vital wildlife habitats such as the Arctic Refuge and Otero Mesa

Additional bill provisions would mandate oil lease sales in the Arctic Refuge, build a mining road through a national park, and double western national forest logging

The proposal sets a dangerous precedent of liquidating public lands to fund other political priorities, prompting calls for constituents to urge senators to oppose the bill