June 28, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUWA Statement on Senator Mike Lee Withdrawing His Plan to Force the Sale of Over a Million Acres of Public Lands – 6.28.25
Lee’s latest proposal part of his longstanding efforts to radically reshape the fabric of the American West and move public lands into private hands
Contacts:
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org
Washington, DC – Tonight, Senator Lee (R-UT) announced he has withdrawn his plan to sell off public lands as part of the FY25 Budget Reconciliation Bill currently being considered by the Senate. His plan was part of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s bill text and would have required the Bureau of Land Management to offer up more than a million acres of public land across 11 western states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY) for sale. A statement from SUWA Executive Director Scott Braden can be found below.
“The nationwide, bipartisan backlash sparked by Senator Mike Lee’s proposal to sell off millions of acres of public land shows just how universally unpopular his idea is,” said Scott Braden, SUWA Executive Director. “While we’re glad to see Senator Lee has removed his sell-off plan from the Budget Bill and are celebrating this win, we know Lee’s underlying goal remains the same: to force the sale of America’s public lands using any excuse or legislative opportunity he can find. Senator Lee’s vision for the American West as a place without public lands is wildly out of touch with what Americans from all walks of life want to see. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, our members, and our partners will work tirelessly to defeat any future efforts to sell off our shared public lands for private profit and exploitation.”
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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.
