By Edith Loyola 
As reported by the House Natural Resources Committee, an amendment authorizing the sale of thousands of acres of federal public lands in Nevada and Utah has been approved. The committee voted late Tuesday night, despite earlier indications that federal land sales would not be included in the budget reconciliation bill.
The targeted lands are primarily managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These areas are located near the outskirts of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, as well as in the rapidly growing southwestern region of Utah, around the tourist town of St. George, where demand for affordable housing has significantly increased.
“Many of the difficulties we face at a local level are, of course, related to the fact that the county is surrounded by federal land,” said Representative Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) during the committee’s deliberations.
According to Maloy, approximately 60 parcels in her district have been identified for potential sale or exchange, covering around 10,000 acres, representing less than one-third of one percent of all federal land in Utah.
“The high percentage of federal lands impacts the local government’s ability to work on economic and transportation development, manage natural resources, and fully take advantage of recreational activities,” she added. Maloy is a relative of rancher Cliven Bundy, known for his role in armed standoffs over federal land control in Nevada and Oregon.
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Responses from Environmental Groups and Democrats
On the other hand, environmental organizations and Democratic lawmakers have expressed strong opposition to the amendment, warning that it may be part of a broader effort to transfer public lands to state or private control, potentially limiting public access and altering the use of these areas.
“Congress is considering selling our public lands to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, president of the Wilderness Society. “What we’re seeing from this administration is a complete lack of balance.”
Stone-Manning, who led the BLM during the Biden administration, emphasized that the agency manages roughly one-tenth of all land in the United States, including vast tracts in the Western states.
Moreover, environmental advocates have pointed to a leaked Department of the Interior plan that reportedly proposes granting more authority to local governments for land management and releasing federal holdings for housing development. They argue that this could be a preliminary step toward a broader transfer of public lands to private interests, including energy companies.
Support for the Amendment
However, proponents of the measure, such as Casey Hammond, who briefly served as acting director of the BLM during the first Trump administration, argue that these are targeted, localized transactions that have strong community support.
“During the last Trump administration, the idea of a wholesale transfer was put to rest,” Hammond stated. “If we are effectively managing federal lands, there is no reason to turn them over to states to be managed better.”
Next Steps in Congress
Finally, the amendment must still pass a full House vote before becoming law. If approved, it would formally authorize the sale of the identified parcels; if rejected, the proposal would effectively be blocked.