Politics
Interior Department Plan to Sell Public Lands Draws Bipartisan Pushback
The Trump administration's new five-year plan aims to shrink the federal estate by selling public lands to states, tribes, and local governments, but it faces opposition from lawmakers in both parties, including a former Interior secretary.
BILLINGS, Mont. â The Interior Department has unveiled a five-year strategic plan that calls for selling federal public lands to states, tribes, and local governments as part of an effort to "decrease the size of the federal estate," according to agency officials.
The plan, which covers 2026 through 2030, also emphasizes strategic land transfers and exchanges to boost energy production, a central goal of the administration's pro-fossil fuel agenda. Officials said the sale of federal property would allow the government to focus resources on "nationally significant" lands, but they provided no specifics on which lands might be sold, how much acreage could be involved, or where sales would occur.
The proposal quickly drew objections from some lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, who served as Interior Secretary during Trump's first term. Zinke's office said in a statement that he "remains firmly opposed to the sale or transfer of public lands" and will vote against any legislation on the issue if it comes up before he leaves Congress at the end of this term.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, also pledged to fight any federal land sales or privatization efforts. "These lands belong to the American people, not private interests looking to cash in. Public lands belong in public hands," Heinrich said.
The Interior Department manages more than 750,000 square miles of land â an area larger than Texas and California combined â along with vast underground mineral reserves. Most of that land is in Western states, where federal ownership often dominates. Nevada, for example, is nearly 80% under federal control.
Interior officials said a portion of any land sale proceeds would go back to the buyer for conservation purposes elsewhere. But it remains uncertain whether Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can achieve the administration's goals without cooperation from Congress.
The plan reflects the administration's view of most public lands as assets to be used rather than set aside for preservation. It sets out a road map for the department's priorities but would not bind future administrations.
The department regulates mining, drilling, grazing, recreation, and other activities that many state and local officials want greater control over. It includes the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The strategic plan was last updated four years ago under former Democratic President Joe Biden. Some Western lawmakers last year sought to sell vast tracts of land in Utah and Nevada, arguing it could generate revenue and ease growth pressures in booming cities. Among the proposals, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee suggested selling more than 2 million acres to states or other entities. Those efforts failed amid bipartisan opposition.
The Associated Press sent emails to Interior officials Wednesday requesting comment and further details.