Last week, Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo both announced opposition to the land sale provision of the budget reconciliation bill. The provision would put more than 21 million acres of public land in Idaho up for sale.
Land Tawney, co-chair of American Hunters and Anglers says bipartisan opposition is not surprising.
“They are essential to who we are as Westerners, but I think Americans in general, so when you try to mess with our public lands, the people will speak out.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the provision, which would make 250 million acres of public lands across eleven Western states eligible for housing development.
Tawney does not believe the land will go to the public.
“My guess is that they’re not going to develop it for affordable housing, maybe a small portion, but it’s going to be going to, you know, develop condos for rich people to be there once a year,” he said.
An attempt to sell public lands in Utah and Nevada was removed from the House version of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” Critics then, including Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), worried the sale would set a dangerous precedent for future land sales in the West.
