House Republicans push massive public land sales across Nevada and Utah amid tax cut push
Nevada and Utah public lands could be sold under GOP proposal (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
House Republicans have included a controversial plan to sell vast areas of federal land in Nevada and Utah as part of their sweeping tax reform package, sparking strong backlash from environmentalists and Democrats, AP News reports.
In a late-night vote, the House Natural Resources Committee approved a measure to authorize the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of public land — up to 200,000 acres in Clark County, Nevada, and about 350,000 acres in Pershing County.
The proposal, introduced by Reps. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT), would allow land to be used for mining, infrastructure, and housing projects.
Supporters argue the move would generate significant revenue and support local development, while critics warn it risks long-term environmental damage and the erosion of public access.
"This is a land grab to fund Republicans' billionaire giveaway tax bill," said Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
"In the dead of night, Representative Mark Amodei pushed House Republicans to move forward with an insane plan that cuts funding from water conservation and public schools across Nevada."
In Utah, Maloy's office defended the measure as modest, noting it covers just 0.33% of public land and would be sold at market value.
Industry perks and climate rollbacks draw more fire
The proposal is part of a broader legislative package championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson that includes tax cuts, immigration enforcement, and spending rollbacks.
Alongside the land sale, the bill slashes royalties for oil, gas, and coal extraction, reducing them to a flat 12.5% on public and offshore lands, and 7% for coal.
It also mandates new lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and aims to revive the coal sector by opening 6,250 square miles of land — more than the size of Connecticut.
Despite support from many Republicans, some are drawing a line.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), former Interior Secretary, said he opposes any public land sales: "It's a no now. It will be a no later. It will be a no forever."
Zinke and Democrat Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) recently launched a bipartisan Public Lands Caucus to safeguard federal land from privatization.
As the bill advances toward a full House vote, it remains unclear how much industry interest the land sales and lease incentives will attract in the face of declining fossil fuel demand.
