WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Legislation introduced Wednesday through the Senate budget reconciliation bill would sell an estimated 1.2 million acres of public lands currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management; it could come to a vote this week.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is behind the legislation that comes after his previous legislation would have sold as many as 3.3 million acres of land across 11 Western states managed by the BLM and the Forest Service. That legislation was rejected by the Senate parliamentarian earlier this week. Unlike previous proposals that largely limited sales to lands already identified for disposal, Lee's rejected legislation included any multiple-use Forest Service or BLM land, including those for outdoor recreation.
The Outdoor Alliance and its GIS Lab said in a news release that it is analyzing and mapping the legislation, which calls for mandatory sale of 0.25-0.5% of BLM land. The bill focuses on lands within five miles of a "population center." According to the Outdoor Alliance, that narrower geographic focus means the pool of eligible land is much smaller and makes it more likely that recreation areas near communities will be targeted for sale.
"Sen. Mike Lee's new proposal would sell off an unprecedented amount of public lands," said Adam Cramer, Outdoor Alliance CEO. "Outdoor Alliance's preliminary analysis of the bill shows that the overlap between lands for sale and outdoor recreation resources is considerable. The outdoor recreation community has already spoken loud and clear: We don't want our public lands sold off. But Sen. Lee just won't take no for an answer. This proposal puts close-to-home BLM recreation at extreme risk. Lawmakers should listen to their constituents and the outdoor recreation community and reject this misguided proposal."
The Outdoor Alliance encourages people who value public land for its recreational and conservation benefits to contact their Congressional representative or use this form.
