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OREGON, USA � A new provision to be considered as part of Senate
Republicans' budget reconciliation bill could lead to the sale of
around 3 million acres of federally managed public land across 11
states, including Oregon and Washington.

The legislation, introduced by Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee,
targets land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the
U.S. Forest Service.

Conservationists warn it could drastically reshape protected areas
like Mount Hood National Forest and Crater Lake.

The legislation said the reason for selling of the land is to make
way for housing developments. While the bill said governors and
applicable tribes would be consulted with, conservationists said it
bypasses public comment and actual transparency.

Colin Deverell, the associate director for the northwest region of
the National Parks Conservation Association, said to imagine "a
view from the rim of Crater Lake that isn�t expansive forest, but
rather a patchwork of privately developed land that used to belong
to the public."

�These lands would be put up to sale to the highest bidder with
zero community input," he continued.

RELATED: Superintendent of Crater Lake National Park resigns, says
Trump administration is dismantling the agency

Tristan Henry, Oregon field representative for the Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said the legislation could have
devastating impacts.

"Once these public lands are sold, they�re gone forever, and that�s
something that most Americans should care about,� Henry added.

Some like Rachel Martin, whose family bought a forest service cabin
back in 2020 in the Mount Hood National Forest, said these lands
are special, and she wants them to stay public. She said all the
cabins in that area are recreational.

�I think that public lands are set aside to be our national
treasures, and I don�t think that that should be in a budget bill,"
said Martin.

She also makes the point that the risk of wildfires in the area is
a reality, and if there's residential housing, that could put
people at risk.

Similarly, she said cutting down all the trees would disrupt nature.

"Over the last few years, we�ve been really concerned about fire
danger, and I�m a big environmentalist and so to disrupt the
habitat of so many living things is kind of atrocious,� Martin said.

She added that it's not an issue of party, but having public land:
�This land is for everyone. It�s not a Republican or a Democrat
thing; it is a national thing, and it�s an Oregonian thing."

Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have both come out in
opposition. Wyden criticized the proposal, saying it would create
housing for billionaires � not nurses or firefighters.

Sen. Lee�s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.

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