This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
A proposal to sell off tracts of federal public land has been removed from the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Over the weekend, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) withdrew his proposal for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell parcels for the highest value. This follows several rounds of revisions and narrowing down aimed at keeping it in the bill after it ran afoul of Senate rules.
The fourth and latest version prioritized selling tracts of BLM land to maximize profit. Nominations for which tracts to sell would have to come from “qualified bidders,” which the bill didn’t define, or states, local governments and Native American tribes. Tracts near towns larger than 1,000 people that may help address local housing needs would be prioritized. The bill required BLM to sell between 600,000 and 1.2 million acres of public land within 10 years.
The proposal had drawn significant outrage across the state from hunters, outdoor recreationists, environmental groups and some lawmakers.
Wyoming’s lone U.S. House Rep. Hariet Hageman supported a similar measure, saying public land sales would help address a shortage of affordable housing. Critics say the economics of developing housing don’t support that.
Congressional Republicans are trying to get the bill to Pres. Trump’s desk by July 4. It includes cuts to Medicaid, other social safety nets and clean energy, and boosted spending for border security and extending tax cuts.
