LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Millions of acres across Nevada and the West could be eligible for sale in one of the latest amendments to Congress’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The proposal comes from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who posted an Instagram video championing a massive federal land sale to build more affordable housing across the U.S.
Critics across Nevada argue that the move would further deplete Southern Nevada’s water supply and add more sprawl without a guarantee for more affordable housing.
“We’re opening underused federal land to expand housing, support local development and get Washington, D.C. out of the way of communities that are just trying to grow,” Sen. Lee said in the video, touting the fiscal benefits of the sale.
The bill could mandate the sale of 2 to 3 million acres of federal lands to states or other entities. The amendment does not specify where the land could be sold.
The Wilderness Society created a map to illustrate the Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service lands that could be eligible for sale. Millions of acres across Northern and Southern Nevada near beloved recreational sites could be selected for a possible sale, critics argue.
“It is clear that this language was developed behind closed doors without input from critical Nevada stakeholders because it ignores provisions for affordable housing and eliminates funding Nevada relies on for our schools and water conservation projects,” Cortez Masto said in a statement last week.
Cortez Masto’s office worked with lawmakers across Nevada to craft a separate bill called the “Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act”. The bill would release 25,000 acres of federal land for development and, according to her office, protect over 2 million acres for conservation and recreation.
Last month, a bipartisan effort in the House killed a separate amendment for a smaller federal land sale, which would have earmarked 65,000 acres in Clark County.
Sen. Lee argues that the amendment will not impact outdoor recreation areas.
“Let me be clear, this does not touch national parks, national monuments or wilderness. We’re talking about isolated parcels that are difficult to manage or better suited for housing and infrastructure,” Sen. Lee said in his video.
The Wilderness Society points out, federal lands near Red Rock, Mt. Charleston or Lake Mead could be eligible for sale and development.
“There’s a lot of BLM lands that are utilized by Southern Nevadans that don’t have a title. They’re just the lands they go use to mountain bike or just walk their dogs. Those are the ones that are kind of really on the chopping block,” said Jose Witt of the Nevada chapter. “You should be concerned because the place you do that might be fenced off and there might be a little McMansion,” Witt said.
The Great Basin Water Network raises the alarm about the impact on our water, especially if the bill does not mandate any environmental protections.
“Lake Mead is about 30% full right now, and one thing that this bill requires, but it certainly doesn’t explicitly state, it’s that we will need to be putting more water to use, more precious water in a time where we are seeing less and less water,” said Kyle Roerink of the Great Basin Water Network.
Secretary Doug Burgum of the U.S. Department of the Interior addressed the need for local input for land sales after questions by Congresswoman Susie Lee of Southern Nevada during a recent hearing.
“The land sales are always sensitive, and they’re always determined by the local partners,” Secretary Burgum said.
“To do this thing well, do them right, and actually get the outcomes we’re looking for, which in the end is, as you’ve described, affordable housing. Housing is one of the key things we’re looking for. But we ought to preserve recreational opportunities and preserve all the mandates that we have,” Burgum said.
If the Big Beautiful Bill makes it out of the Senate with the lands amendment, it will return to the House.
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