May 7, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUWA Statement on Eleventh Hour Introduction of Public Lands Sell-Off Amendment from Rep. Celeste Maloy – 5.7.25
Amendment introduced in the House Natural Resources Committee as part of the FY25 Budget Reconciliation Bill
Contacts:
Travis Hammill, DC Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (202) 266-0472; travis@suwa.org
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org
Washington, DC – Last night, under the cover of darkness after a day-long hearing and without an opportunity for review by other members of Congress or the public, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) introduced an amendment that would result in the sell-off of over 10,000 acres of federal public land in Utah. This amendment to sell Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land was introduced during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing considering the FY25 Budget Reconciliation Bill. The amendment passed 23-18; it will now be considered by the full House of Representatives. Below is a statement from SUWA DC Director Travis Hammill.
“Rep. Maloy is hell-bent on selling off and privatizing public lands – attempting to do so in the dark of night, hoping her actions wouldn’t be noticed. She was dead wrong,” said Travis Hammill, DC Director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. “This plan was cooked up behind closed doors, and Utahns and Americans aren’t going to let her get away with this. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, our members, and our partners are making certain that in the light of day, her actions will be seen for what they truly are: a sell-off of public lands to pay for billionaire tax cuts. Shame on her.”
We are grateful for the impassioned speeches and search for answers by Democrats on the committee, especially Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA-2), America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act Champion Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-1), and Reps. Joe Neguse (D-CO-2), Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2), and Dave Min (D-CA-47). We appreciate these members for their work to hold Republicans accountable to the American people for their dead-of-night attempts to sell off public lands, even if the Republicans have no desire to be.
The rushed and last-minute nature of this amendment introduction means little to no information is available – maps or parcel information, amendment text, CBO Score, etc.
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The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.
