Trump administration plan to sell public lands draws congressional pushback

President Donald Trump’s administration wants to sell public lands to states, tribes and local governments as part of an effort to “decrease the size of the federal estate,” according to a new plan presented by the Interior Department.

Agency officials said the sale of federal property would allow the government to focus resources on “nationally significant” lands, which were not defined. They offered no details on what parcels could be sold, nor the scope or location of potential sales.

The proposal drew quick pushback from some lawmakers, including Trump’s former Interior secretary, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, showing it faces strong headwinds in Congress even before Democrats assume the majority in January.

The plan could face strong headwinds in Wyoming, where past proposals to sell off public lands drew a strong public backlash.

The Interior Department’s five-year strategic plan also calls for land transfers and exchanges to support greater energy production, a centerpiece of the administration’s pro-fossil fuel policies. It reflects the Trump administration’s view of most public lands as assets to be used, rather than to be set aside for preservation.

The Interior Department oversees more than 750,000 square miles of land — an area greater than Texas and California combined — along with vast underground mineral reserves. That puts the agency at the center of a contentious, decades-long debate over whether the government controls too much land.

The Associated Press sent emails to Interior officials Wednesday requesting comment and further details.

Most public lands are in Western states. In some, the government controls the vast majority of land, protecting it from potential exploitation but also hindering growth. Nevada, for example, is almost 80% under federal control.

Nearly half of Wyoming is federally owned. About a third of land in the state is managed by Interior Department agencies. 

Interior officials said a portion of any land sale proceeds would be returned to the buyer for conservation purposes elsewhere.

Yet it’s uncertain if Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can achieve the administration’s goals without cooperation from Congress.

Federal law puts significant constraints on public land sales, said Mark Squillace, a professor of natural resources law at University of Colorado Law School.

Land cannot be sold if it’s under protected status. And before a sale can occur, it must be deemed appropriate under certain criteria. Those include cases of land that is uneconomic to manage or where a sale would “serve important public objectives, including but not limited to, expansion of communities and economic development.”

Zinke’s office said in a statement that he “remains firmly opposed to the sale or transfer of public lands.” It said Zinke would vote against any legislation on the issue if it happens before the lawmaker leaves Congress after this term.

The ranking Democrats on the House and Senate natural resources committee — buoyed by their party’s success in last week’s midterm elections — pledged to fight any land sales.

Democratic New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich said federal lands “belong to the American people, not private interests looking to cash in.”

California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman said Democrats would resist the move.

“Americans love their public lands and sent a clear message last week: the Trump administration’s schemes to auction off our treasured resources and silence opposition must stop now. Democrats in Congress are going to deliver,” Huffman said.

Some Western lawmakers last year sought to sell vast tracts of land in Utah and Nevada, saying that could generate revenue and ease growth pressures in booming cities. Among the proposals, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee suggested selling more than 2 million acres to states or other entities.

Those efforts failed amid bipartisan opposition.

The plan sets out a road map for the Interior Department’s priorities and actions between 2026 and 2030. Future administrations would not be bound by it.

The department regulates mining, drilling, grazing, recreation and other activities that many state and local officials want greater control over. Interior includes the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The agency’s strategic plan was last updated four years ago under former Democratic President Joe Biden.

Burgum and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner last year proposed using “underutilized” federal land for affordable housing. Turner said some 7 million homes were needed. Officials under Biden also sought to use public lands for affordable housing, although on a smaller scale.

WyoFile editor Joshua Wolfson contributed to this report.

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