House Republicans have unveiled a plan to help fund President Donald Trump’s massive tax cuts by selling thousands of acres of federal public lands in Utah and Nevada. The proposal was added during late-night negotiations to a legislative package approved early Wednesday by the House Natural Resources Committee. It mandates the sale of dozens of parcels totaling more than 11,000 acres of federal land across the two western states.
The committee’s broader legislative package aims to raise over $18 billion through increased federal oil, gas, and coal lease sales and timber sales to offset portions of Trump’s tax cuts, which are estimated to reduce revenue by $4.5 trillion. In comparison, Republicans seek around $2 trillion in spending reductions. PBS News reports that the move has already drawn fierce opposition from environmental groups and some Republicans who view public lands as a sacred American heritage.
The late inclusion of the land sales provision has intensified the partisan divide over Trump’s economic agenda. House Speaker Mike Johnson has set an ambitious goal of passing the entire package by Memorial Day.
Environmental Groups Sound Alarm
Environmental advocates have reacted with outrage, calling the plan a betrayal that could lead to increased drilling, mining, and logging across western public lands.
“Public lands shouldn’t have a price tag on them. But Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are working like mad to hand over our public lands to billionaires and corporate polluters to drill, mine, and log with the bare minimum oversight or accountability,” said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program.
Not all Republicans support the land sale proposal. Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, who served as Interior Secretary during Trump’s first administration, has drawn a firm line against selling public lands.
“It’s a no now. It will be no later. It will be a no forever,” Zinke stated, suggesting that management changes rather than land sales would be more appropriate. Colorado Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd also voted against the provision, highlighting growing concerns within the party about potential backlash from constituents who value public lands access.
Beyond land sales, the legislation would significantly reduce royalty rates paid by companies extracting resources from public lands. Oil and gas royalty rates would drop from 16.7% on public lands and 18.75% offshore to a uniform 12.5%, while coal royalties would decrease from 12.5% to 7%. The bill also calls for four oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge over the next decade. It seeks to boost the coal industry by making available for leasing 6,250 square miles of public lands—an area larger than Connecticut.
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