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Federal Land Sale

Senator Lee’s Amendment to the BBB

In mid-June 2025, Utah’s senior Senator Mike Lee introduced an amendment to the republican backed Big Beautiful Bill (yes, that’s the real name). His proposal? To sell off millions of acres of federal land, ostensibly to build family homes and bring down housing costs. Lee argued much of this land is mismanaged, underutilized, and not serving local communities effectively.

The amendment initially targeted up to 3.3 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service, while excluding national parks, designated wilderness areas, and other formally protected lands.

The proposal drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Opponents warned that Lee’s plan would:

  • Open the door to a massive sell-off of public lands
  • Largely benefit real estate developers and speculators, while doing little to solve the affordable housing crisis
  • Bypass standard environmental reviews and limit opportunities for public input

In response, Senator Lee first scaled back the plan but ultimately withdrew the amendment on June 24, following widespread opposition and a procedural challenge in the Senate that found the measure violated reconciliation rules (known as the Byrd Rule).

“Because of the strict constraints of the budget reconciliation process, I was unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee that these lands would be sold only to American families – not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests,” Lee posted in a statement on Twitter announcing withdrawal of the amendment.

Lee, who represents a state with 37.4 million acres of federally managed land, has long pushed for the sale of federal lands. If he eventually succeeds, the consequences for Brighton could be significant: privatization and development of Big Cottonwood Canyon National Forest land, environmental degradation, loss of open space, and diminished local control.

As a small town, Brighton has limited influence over federal land management decisions made in Washington. However, on January 14, 2025, the Town Council voted to enter into a contract with RRJ Consulting, a Draper-based government relations firm, for lobbying services not to exceed $60,000.

If Senator Mike Lee and his colleagues are ever successful in advancing his push to privatize public lands, RRJ Consulting could play a key role in advocating with state and federal officials to shield Big Cottonwood Canyon from being sold off to developers. In the meantime, if Utahns want to ensure our public lands remain protected, they should probably elect a new Senator in 2028.

What do you think? Let me know.