WASHINGTON, D.C. – The proposal to sell off millions of acres of public lands has been removed from a bill due to pressure from hunters, anglers and the outdoor recreation community.
Senator Mike Lee sponsored the bill, which would have allowed the U.S. government to sell public lands. Lee explained his decision to withdraw the proposal, stating he could not secure “clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee that public lands would be sold only to American families – not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to foreign interests.”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell responded to the decision, saying, “This was a wrong-headed proposal that had no place in this reconciliation bill. Many western Senators who know the value of recreational lands objected to its inclusion.”
Cantwell added that she is “glad our special places will still be available for everyone.”
