3.3 Million Acre Public Land Sell-Off Removed from Senate Bill—But the Fight Isn’t Over

Late last night, the Senate parliamentarian ruled out of order a proposal that would have required the sale of up to 3.3 million acres of public lands as part of the federal budget reconciliation bill. The provision was removed as part of the Byrd Bath process, a policy review used by Senate staff to determine whether each provision in a reconciliation bill complies with the Byrd Rule—a rule designed to keep non-budgetary items out of reconciliation bills.

While this is a victory—effectively shutting down the worst sell off proposal we’ve seen in years—the fight is definitely not over.

 Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has already promised to revise his land sell-off proposal and include a new version in the Senate text of the “Big Beautiful Bill Act” that the Senate is expected to begin voting on this week. According to a tweet, Senator Lee plans to reintroduce a proposal that targets BLM lands near communities—places many people rely on for everyday access to the outdoors.

We don’t know the precise parameters yet of what Sen. Lee will propose, but BLM land within 5 miles of towns larger than 5,000 people includes 2.1 million acres of public lands, nearly 2300 miles of trails, 1800+ climbing routes and boulder problems, and 19 miles of whitewater rivers. These areas are invaluable frontcountry recreation zones for millions of Americans, and we’re not done fighting.

Selling off public land is resoundingly unpopular with Americans and over the past two weeks, the outdoor community showed up like never before. Outdoor Alliance’s community alone sent more than half a million letters to lawmakers by people who hike, climb, ride, paddle, ski, fish, hunt, and care deeply about our public lands. That flood of messages sent a powerful signal: public lands are not for sale. Several senators publicly opposed the sell-off proposal in the days leading up to this decision, and it’s clear they were responding to pressure from their constituents.

“The removal of the public land sell-off from the Senate reconciliation bill is a major victory for the outdoor community and for anyone who cares about access to our shared lands. Lawmakers have to listen when the millions of people who hike, climb, ride, surf, ski, and paddle raise their voices. But we know this isn’t over. The outdoor community will keep showing up to defend public lands—because they belong to all of us, and once they’re gone, we don’t get them back,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance.

While this is a significant win, the fight is not over and it is critical to keep the pressure on before the Senate votes later this week. Lawmakers need to know the outdoor community is still engaged, still paying attention, and ready to act again.