WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Mike Lee’s pared-down land sale proposal, trimmed to 1.2 million acres of BLM-owned land within five miles of population centers, is under intense scrutiny—and removed national forests from consideration for sales. However, the fight may finally be nearing a conclusion.
The revised language appears in the Senate’s reconciliation megabill, but Montana Republicans insist they already have the votes to kill it with a floor amendment—potentially ending this threat once and for all.
What’s new in the revised plan
- Lower sale target: Between 0.25% and 0.5% of the BLM’s 245 million acres—about 612,500 to 1.225 million acres—exclusively for housing or infrastructure development.
- Forest Service excluded: Lee dropped all sale language for national forests to comply with Byrd Rule restrictions.
Montana Republicans: “We’ve got the votes”
Sen. Steve Daines (R–MT) told NOTUS he and Sen. Tim Sheehy are prepared to offer an amendment to strip the land provision—he’s confident they already have the votes.
“We’re already prepared, and we’ve got the votes to strike it if we need to. I think it will fail at the [parliamentarian] level,” Daines said, even as Lee’s team awaits formal approval of the revised text.
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What you can do now
The public land sale isn’t dead yet—and the pressure matters now more than ever, especially on these key GOP senators:
Montana: Steve Daines & Tim Sheehy
Idaho: Mike Crapo & Jim Risch
📞 Call or email their offices today.
💬 Use social media: share this update and tag them with messages like, “Stay true to public lands—not megabill profiteers.”
📣 Encourage local friends, outdoor groups, businesses to speak up too; this isn’t partisan—it’s about protecting the landscapes our communities depend on.
The bottom line
A final battle is brewing at the Senate floor. A narrow margin could decide whether nearly 1.2 million more acres of accessible public land are locked in for local housing—or locked away from public hands. Stay engaged, stay loud, and let them know: this land isn’t for sale.
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