Amid public outrage, language in the U.S. public lands sale proposal has softened. Some Wyoming politicians are championing the sell-off, but many residents continue to be angry.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands across 11 western states won’t be sold for housing development, according to updated language in the proposal. But, it will still include Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land within five miles of “population centers.” Although it’s unclear what qualifies as such. This is part of Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) initiative to mandate some federal land be sold for housing development and related amenities.
The new language comes after intense public outrage, which Lee acknowledged in a Monday night post on X. However, some remain skeptical that the proposal has a path forward. The original version was found to violate Senate rules if it’s included in the Republican’s tax and spending bill; but, just because it violates the rules doesn’t mean the proposal is null.
Aaron Weiss, deputy director of Western Priorities, said his group still opposes the new version even with USFS land omitted.
“It could still be millions of acres up for grabs,” Weiss said.
In Wyoming, this could include land near Fremont Lake, the Red Desert, the checkerboard near Rock Springs, McCullough Peaks near Cody, among others. That’s according to a map put out by the Wilderness Society.
Even with USFS land excluded, the BLM parcels are areas many locals use to recreate. Like, longtime Pinedale horse shoer Lonny Johnson.
“I love cowboying and working cows and doing stuff and just enjoying the beauty of it. It's like living in a postcard,” Johnson said. “And I would really not like that to be taken away.”
This sentiment extends across the political spectrum.
“I'm damn sure not a Democrat, not a liberal, no socialist. I voted for Trump, don't have nothing to hide,” Johnson said frankly.
But he said the potential public lands sell off is clouding his views on Trump, and he’s disappointed in Wyoming’s republican congressional members. Johnson said he’s tried calling them, but hasn’t gotten a reply.
Meanwhile, he attended a public lands rally in Pinedale this past weekend.
“I don't want them to do anything with it except leave it how it is,” he said. “It's our public land and our stuff. Our things that make Wyoming wonderful.”
But, Gov. Mark Gordon spoke somewhat in favor of the proposal this week at a press conference at the Western Governors’ Association in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“On a piece-by-piece basis where states have the opportunity to craft policies that make sense,” Gordon said, according to PBS reporting. “We can actually allow for some responsible growth in areas with communities that are landlocked at this point.”
Additionally, Wyoming Congressional Rep. Harriet Hageman championed the proposal, saying it’ll help with housing shortages across the West. Speaking remotely to the Wyoming Legislature Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee on June 19, Hageman gave the example of BLM parcels within Las Vegas, Nev.
“That's where you see all the blow dirt, you see a lot of trash, you see the big fences around these vacant lots,” Hageman said. “This isn't where people are hiking, this isn't where people are hunting. These are lands that are just basically abandoned.”
During public comment, Rep. Mike Schmid (R-La Barge), who’s not on the committee, zeroed in on the concern about Wyoming public lands. Schmid acknowledged that there are exemptions, like national parks and monuments, but that his constituents are still worried.
“What they're nervous about is the big portions of our public lands that are not specifically mentioned as not for sale,” Schmid said.
He went on to ask Hageman if language could be included in the proposal to “put my constituents’ minds at ease that all of this federal land that looks like it’s identified be excluded.”
Hageman’s response was that it’s “misinformation” spreading, as no land has been identified. That is true. The proposal doesn’t specifically say which land would be developed. But without specifics, people familiar with the proposal, like the Wilderness Society, say it leaves the door open to a lot of public land. However, in the same meeting, Hageman called the Wilderness Society’s map “100 percent lies.”
WPR put Hageman’s accusation to Aaron Weiss, with Western Priorities who works closely with the Wilderness Society.
“The Wilderness Society did their homework. They read the text of Mike Lee's bill, and they put it on a map. The language was very clear as to what was potentially up for sale,” Weiss said. “Mike Lee certainly didn't provide any other maps.”
In an emailed statement, the Wyoming Outdoor Council said, “The Wilderness Society has been very clear about that exact methodology and it is accurate based on exact language in the bill outlining the description of lands eligible for sale. It's telling that none of the supporters of these sell-off efforts have released their own maps, and are instead trying to mislead citizens about their intent to privatize public lands."
A similar sentiment was echoed by Rep. Karlee Provenza (D-Laramie). She said even with the proposal’s language softened, she’s still concerned.
“Until we hear from every elected leader and every aspiring politician that our public lands are not to be sold off, then we have work to do,” Provenza said.
Provenza is helping organize a rally for public lands at the State Capitol in Cheyenne, 6 p.m. Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lee said he’s still listening to the American public in a Tuesday night post on X.
“I’m working closely with the Trump administration to ensure that any federal land sales serve the American people,” he said, adding that it wouldn’t be sold to foreign governments. “This land must go to American families. Period.”
But people like Pinedale horseshoer Lonny Johnson said that’s still not listening. He doesn’t want housing, affordable or not, on his public lands.
“I’m about to go shoe some horses and then go fishing this afternoon,” Johnson said. “And if they do this, I won't be able to enjoy the public lands.”
Stay tuned for a more in-depth debrief on the subject on this week’s Open Spaces.
