The Senate Balks at a Big, Beautiful Land Sale
June 30, 2025
Lyman Stone rightly notes that a public-land sale would have been a boon for families (Letters, June 26). The exclusion of these sales from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a missed opportunity. To succeed next time, proponents must improve their messaging and construct a broader coalition to counter persistent myths.
These sales, as envisioned by Sen. Mike Lee, wouldn’t endanger protected lands or recreation areas. They would target small parcels near urban centers. We’ve found that to generate up to a million new homes, it would require only about 150 square miles in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and California, less than 0.05% of total Bureau of Land Management holdings. Visual maps, like those produced by AEI’s Housing Center, demonstrate that these lands are adjacent to cities and wouldn’t impinge on land for the public to enjoy. This transparency must be central to future efforts.
