Thu May 08 06:10:00 UTC 2025: **House Committee Approves Controversial Sale of Federal Lands in Nevada and Utah**
Washington D.C. – A House Natural Resources committee late Tuesday approved an amendment authorizing the sale of approximately 10,000 acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah. The move has sparked fierce opposition from Democrats and environmental groups who claim it’s part of a broader effort to transfer public lands to state or private control.
The amendment, championed by Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), targets roughly sixty parcels primarily intended for affordable housing development near Las Vegas, Reno, and St. George. Rep. Maloy argues that the high percentage of federally-owned land in her state hinders local economic development, transportation projects, and resource management.
Critics, however, contend the amendment represents a dangerous precedent. Tracy Stone-Manning, president of the Wilderness Society and former Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director, decried the proposal as a scheme to enrich the wealthy through tax cuts funded by the sale of public lands. Concerns are also fueled by a leaked Department of Interior plan suggesting increased local land management authority and the potential release of federal holdings for development.
While proponents like Casey Hammond, a former acting BLM director under the Trump administration, characterize the land transfers as small-scale and locally supported, opponents fear a larger, orchestrated transfer of federal lands to private entities. Hammond asserts that the idea of a wholesale transfer was rejected during the previous Trump administration due to the effective management of federal lands.
The amendment now awaits a full House vote. The outcome will significantly impact land management in Nevada and Utah and could set a precedent for future federal land sales nationwide.
First Piper 