“Senator Mike Lee has proven himself a champion of conservative principles in his service as Senator of Utah. His prioritization of ensuring that the American dream is accessible to future generations through lowering the cost of housing is deserving of admiration.”
As Trump’s omnibus policy package, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” makes its way through congress, substantial criticism is being leveled at Utah Senator Mike Lee because of a single provision. This provision would allow for federal land in western states, including Utah, to be sold off to interested parties. One of several misleading posts came from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which published a map displaying land labeled as “eligible for sale” under the provision. This seems like a fairly simple provision, however it does not tell the full story.
The map shows 18.7 million acres in Utah listed as “eligible for sale,” but that number comes from old federal land inventories. Under the current Senate bill, only about 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent of total eligible land across all the Western states in the bill can even be sold. That small amount would be spread out, not taken from one state. The only way Utah would see anywhere close to 18.7 million acres sold is if every single acre allowed under the cap came exclusively from Utah, which isn’t going to happen. The “eligible for sale” designation is not a new development. It stems from administrative land inventories that have existed for decades, many of which were shaped by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. That law instructed federal agencies to periodically identify parcels of land that are often isolated, of low-value, or difficult to manage. Including these long-standing classifications in a current policy proposal does not indicate a sweeping land sell-off but rather reflects routine land management practices.
Currently, the pressing issue that the provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” seeks to address is housing prices. It’s no secret that Utah is facing a housing crisis. According to Utah Geospatial Resource Center, the median price of a home in the state of Utah is about $535,000 which is 27 percent higher than the national average. This would require an annual salary of $140,000 for a Salt Lake City resident to reasonably manage a home mortgage at that price. UGRC explains that the city average income is only about $92,000. For context, the average salary of a recent graduate of the top earning degree—engineering—is $78,731, which is well below what is needed. One of the major contributing factors to these high home prices in Utah is land scarcity. Over 60 percent of the land in Utah is owned by the federal government. None of this land is being used for urban development. The rapid rate at which the population of Utah is growing is why Mike Lee argues that opening up federal land for home construction could help increase supply and decrease cost.
A common misconception is that this provision will sell some of the most cherished outdoor locations in the state. While this concern is valid, Senator Lee has been vocal that the bill will ensure that certain outdoor locations will not be touched. On his X account, which included wording of the actual bill, he said, “My bill exempts ALL parks, monuments, wilderness areas, etc., from the federal land sale. We exempt 15 categories of land, including land where people have valid existing rights. And even then, it’s less than ONE PERCENT of federal land.” In fact, Senator Lee has been so clear about hunting and fishing land not being sold that he even committed to revising the provision. He said, “Americans have spoken. Hunter nation has spoken. I’ve listened and made substantial changes to the lands proposal to accommodate their concerns,” and even clarified further in his official X account. His clarifications include excluding all forest land completely, reducing BLM land significantly, and ensuring that it only allows for land within 5 miles of population centers. Additions to the bill protect farmers, ranchers, and more recreational areas and users.
Senator Mike Lee has proven himself a champion of conservative principles in his service as Senator of Utah. His prioritization of ensuring that the American dream is accessible to future generations through lowering the cost of housing is deserving of admiration. Furthermore, his attention to the opinions of constituents concerned about the bill and his promise of revision is also commendable. The American people voted a red wave in November because they wanted a bright economic future. If Utahns want that “golden age” of America to be felt in this state, then support of this provision, and of Senator Lee, is a necessary step.
Written by: Tanner Moss
Guest Contributor for the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Cover Photo Source: https://www.yourhikeguide.com/silver-lake/
“One of the major contributing factors to these high home prices in Utah is land scarcity.”
Is there any kind of proof for this claim or are we just saying things? Last I checked all the land that surround the Amazon Distribution facilities out west are not Federal lands. Why aren’t developers building out there? What about US Magnesium which is going out of business, don’t they own massive tracts of land that could easily be converted to housing?
No mention of the current system that already exists to divest public land, under the provisions of FLPMA. Land sales have been happening in Las Vegas for decades as that city has expanded.
Why has Lee chosen to ignore the current processes that exist and wedge his plan into a reconciliation bill? Is it because he doesn’t want to deal with the mandated public-comment period under FLPMA?