NLIHC Joins Sierra Club Letter Opposing Public Land Sale in Reconciliation Bill 

By Kayla Blackwell, NLIHC Housing Policy Analyst and San Kwon, NLIHC Policy Intern  

NLIHC joined a letter from the National Housing Law Project and the Sierra Club urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) to oppose the sale of public lands in the budget reconciliation bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). The proposal, led by Sen. Lee, would have approved the sale of 0.5% to 0.75% of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management––opening an estimate of an unprecedented 250 million acres of public lands for potential sale across Western states. During Senate debate on June 28, Senator Lee removed the proposal from the budget reconciliation bill, which passed and was signed into law on July 4. NLIHC works closely with Tribal housing leaders to ensure any sale of public lands includes Tribal consultation and accountability to Tribes and local communities. 

Proponents of the public lands sale have argued that it would provide a viable way to address the country’s housing affordability crisis. The letter argues forcefully against this rationale, stating that the public lands sale would “have devastating impacts on U.S. efforts to preserve America’s most precious resources without making any meaningful gains to address our affordable housing crisis.”  

The letter points out the absurdity of framing a public land sell-off as a housing solution. Affordable housing—whether in rural, suburban, or urban communities—must be built within communities where people can live and work, with resources like schools, hospitals, employment opportunities, and infrastructure. Furthermore, even if developed, housing in areas like Lake Tahoe or Zion National Park––areas known for their recreational and luxury markets––would certainly be out of reach for working families and thus do nothing to address the country’s housing affordability crisis.  

The letter condemns the proposal as consistent with the reconciliation bill’s broader pattern of pursuing disinvestment from the public and massive wealth transfers to corporations and the ultra-wealthy. “Public lands are a shared inheritance—irreplaceable, invaluable, and essential to our nation’s future. At a time when access to land, nature, and affordable housing is increasingly limited, selling off public lands is a permanent and misguided step in the wrong direction,” the letter stated.  

Read the full letter here.  

Read the Sierra Club’s statement on the removal of public lands sale from the reconciliation bill here.