Millions of Acres of Public Land at Risk of Sale, Though Montana Excluded

“Big Beautiful Bill” could put over two million acres of land for sale

By Jordan Hansen, Daily Montanan

Vast tracks of public land could be sold as part of President’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan)

A massive sell-off of millions of acres of public lands is part of the federal “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” with at least one member of Montana’s federal delegation squarely in the thick of the discussion, and land in Montana apparently off the chopping block, at least for the time being.

Back in late May, Republican U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana stripped out a provision of the bill that would have sold 450,000 acres of land across the country and said in a press release: “This was my San Juan Hill; I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn’t creating more land.”

Public usage of public land is one issue unites people across the political spectrum in Montana and elsewhere.

More mass land sales were not being considered until the bill reached the U.S. Senate, and Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, added them in. The current bill calls for more than two million acres to be sold and developed as housing or for community development needs, with acreage identified across western states, but not Montana, according to one analysis.

On June 5, Republican U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ office sent out a statement saying there had been “some confusion” about Daines’ position on the sale of public lands after reports were published that he was working with Lee regarding public lands. Daines’ press secretary Gabby Wiggins clarified in a statement, “Senator Daines always has, and always will be, against the sale of public lands. Senator Daines is holding discussions with his colleagues in the Senate and bringing up his strong concerns.”

She went on to say Daines’ stance was seeking to minimize or prevent public lands sales. It’s unclear what, if anything, Daines did on the issue.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a coalition of outdoor businesses wrote it would have a “significant impact” on their industry.

“Unilaterally removing lands with recreational value from public ownership is a losing issue for the American public, businesses and many Republicans in Congress,” the letter reads.

Despite not being involved in the sale, groups in Montana have voiced their concerns, too.

“2 million acres of American public land on the chopping block? Theodore Roosevelt is spinning in his grave,” Frank Szollosi, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation said in a release. “There is well established law dealing with surplus federal land divestment. This is a back room deal that cuts the American public out of the process.”

None of Montana’s federal delegation responded to a request for a comment from the Daily Montanan. It’s unclear why Montana has been excluded from the land sales, or if the state’s federal delegation influenced the exclusion.

Earlier in May, Zinke helped create a bipartisan public lands caucus, which fellow Montana Representative Troy Downing is also part of. On Friday, two Idaho senators, both Republicans, came out against the land sales, as did Daines to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Daines and Senator Tim Sheehy also supported a Democratic resolution against selling public lands earlier this year.

Significant chunks of federal land are at risk of sale. The proposal would require the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to identify and sell from 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres of public lands across 11 Western states to build housing and for other community needs.

Data collected by The Wilderness Society, an environmental nonprofit, show how many acres of land are being considered for sale. About 2 to 3 million acres of land would be sold under the bill, though which of these tracts would be sold is unclear.