Senate Republicans are pushing forward a controversial provision in their sweeping budget reconciliation bill that would authorize the sale of up to 3.3 million acres of public land in the Western United States.

The measure, which has a potentially significant impact on outdoor recreation, hunting and wildlife across some of the most iconic landscapes of the U.S., has ignited fierce resistance from conservationists, Democrats, and even some MAGA Republicans, uniting unlikely political allies in defense of keeping public lands from being developed.

Why It Matters

The proposal was introduced by Utah Republican Mike Lee, a strong supporter of President Trump. It is embedded in what party leaders call the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a broader legislative package to fund Trump‘s economic agenda.

If passed, the legislation would require the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to sell off between 0.5 and 0.75 percent of their land holdings in 11 Western states, including Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Montana is notably excluded.

What To Know

The intended use of the land, according to Lee, is to promote housing development and support local economic growth — though no specific development plan has been released. “We’re opening underused federal land to expand housing, support local development and get Washington, D.C. out of the way of communities that are just trying to grow,” Lee said in a video message shared with the bill’s release.

But critics across the political spectrum argue that the bill is far more expansive than it appears and argue it lacks safeguards to prevent misuse or over-development. A map created by the Wilderness Society, a non-profit land conservation organization, visually outlines the vast geographic impact of the proposed sell-off.