Disposal of Public Lands: The Details of the New Senate Bill
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Photo: USFWS
A new provision in the Senate’s latest reconciliation bill proposes the sale of millions of acres of public land across the Western United States. The new proposal requires the disposal of lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
The bill will target public lands in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
With very limited exemptions, the majority of significant landscape could be for sale–from Arctic Alaska to Oregon’s Owyhee Canyonlands and Washington’s Snoqualmie forest. More than 250 million acres of public land would be eligible for sale. To see what will be affected in your hometown, take a look at the map of all public lands that are now at risk of disposal at the link below.
The breakdown of total acreage available for sale by state is as follows:
Alaska: 82,831,388 acres
Arizona: 14,423,967 acres
California: 16,682,607 acres
Colorado: 4,352,632 acres
Idaho: 21,685,823 acres
Nevada: 33,580,624 acres
New Mexico: 14,312,074 acres
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Oregon: 21,745,380 acres
Utah: 18,746,709 acres
Washington: 5,371,690 acres
Wyoming: 14,940,234 acres
A significant portion of the U.S. ski industry operates on public land through special use permits from the USFS. While the bill doesn’t explicitly state ski resorts, the broad scope of the proposal puts any resort operating on USFS or BLM land at risk.
It is not yet clear which specific parcels of land would be sold. However, the following ski areas are currently located on federal land that may be eligible under the bill:
California: Mammoth Mountain, Heavenly, Palisades Tahoe, Kirkwood, Snow Summit, Bear Mountain
Colorado: Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Beaver Creek, Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Steamboat, Winter Park, Arapahoe Basin
Idaho: Sun Valley, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Bogus Basin
Nevada: Lee Canyon, Diamond Peak
New Mexico: Taos Ski Valley, Ski Santa Fe
Oregon: Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge, Mt. Bachelor
Utah: Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley
Washington: Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Mt. Baker
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snow King Mountain
This legislative proposal marks a critical time for the future of land management in the American West. Its outcome will directly shape the landscape of outdoor recreation and the communities whose economies are linked to these public spaces.
Contact your senators to oppose the current reconciliation bill by clicking below.
