Massive Plan to Sell Oregon Public Land Withdrawn After Public Outrage and Political Pressure

A race by Republicans to meet President Donald Trump’s 4th of July deadline to sell millions of acres of public land nationwide, including almost 22 million acres in Oregon, failed to get traction and has been withdrawn.

The tax and spending cut bill met with fierce opposition by both Democrats and some Republicans, forcing Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) to withdraw the measure from the bill.

In a post on X, Lee says he decided to withdraw the provision because he was unable to secure safeguards to guarantee that the land would be sold to American families, only, and not to foreign interests.

Nearly 22 Million Acres in Oregon Would Have Been Sold

On 23 June, Daily Tidings reported that the Oregon land earmarked for sale included the state’s renowned Owyhee Canyonlands. Of the 21,745,380 acres, 11,86 million acres are under the control of the Bureau of Land Management, and the other 10 million acres are managed by the Forest Service.

A report by the Wilderness Society says the bill posed a threat to critical habitat, wilderness study areas, and areas without roads.

Jennifer Rokala, the executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, a conservation advocacy organization, described the withdrawal of the massive land sale as a victory the a ‘vast majority of voters across the political spectrum.’ Her sentiments were echoed by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden in a post on X.

Also taking to social media was Utah’s Senator Lee who said he had hoped that the sale of the public land would address the country’s growing housing shortage and assist young Americans to afford the purchase of a property.

However, the Mayor of Bend, Melanie Kebler, did not agree with Lee, saying the proposal would have threatened public open spaces and the outdoor economy of many Oregon cities like her own.