Hell No’: Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Threatens to Sell Off 250 Million Acres of Public Lands

 

 June 21, 2025 

Every summer, my wife, our three kids, and our dog escape Portland, Oregon, for the forested shores of Timothy Lake. Surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land, the lake is a haven—quiet waters, trout fishing, osprey sightings, and on clear days, a view of the snowcapped Mount Hood. But under a new Senate proposal, places like Timothy Lake could soon be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

A controversial provision in the Senate’s version of former President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending legislation—dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—would put nearly 250 million acres of federal land across 11 western states up for sale. The bill mandates at least 3 million acres be privatized within five years. That's roughly half the size of Vermont.

The proposal, pushed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee under Chair Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), frames this sell-off as a way to spur housing development and raise $5 billion in revenue. Lee, known for recent inflammatory posts online, defended the plan to conservative host Glenn Beck as “common sense.” The Wall Street Journal editorial board echoed that sentiment, calling the federal government a “poor steward” of the land.

But opposition is widespread—even within the GOP. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), Trump’s former Interior Secretary, successfully removed a similar provision from the House bill. “Once the land is sold, we will never get it back,” Zinke warned. “God isn’t creating more land.” Despite Montana being exempt from the Senate version, Zinke remains firmly opposed: “I have said from day one I would not support a bill that sells public lands.”

Environmental groups are sounding alarms. A coalition of 113 organizations, including the Sierra Club and Scenic Utah, sent an open letter urging the Senate to abandon the provision. They warn that, without strict guidelines, public lands could be turned into luxury resorts, golf courses, strip malls, or private vacation homes. The Wilderness Society called it the “largest single sale of national public lands in modern history,” and has released a map showing land that could go to private developers.

And the bill offers few protections. While it vaguely requires “consultation” with states and exempts land with “valid existing rights,” critics note that extractive industries like mining and drilling would likely be shielded—while recreation areas, like my family’s go-to campsite at Timothy Lake, would be vulnerable.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) blasted the measure as “insane” and a “non-starter.” “Hell no,” he declared on social media. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the top Democrat on Lee’s committee, issued a rallying cry: “Our public lands hold our shared identity… We can’t let Republicans take them from us.”

The Senate's plan is also deeply unpopular with the public. A recent poll shows 71% of Americans oppose selling off public lands—support among Trump voters is just 16%.

According to The Wilderness Society’s analysis, the states most at risk include:

• Alaska: ~80 million acres
• Nevada: ~34 million acres
• Idaho & Oregon: ~21 million acres each
• Utah (Lee’s home state): ~19 million acres

Despite fierce backlash, Senate Republicans are determined to pass their version of the Big Beautiful Bill by July 4.

As Heinrich put it: “Now is the time to raise your voices and join our fight to keep public lands in public hands—before we lose them forever.”