WASHINGTON, D.C. — A provision added to the budget reconciliation bill would require the federal government to sell millions of acres of public lands, including land in Colorado, for housing development.
More than one-third of Colorado's land (24 million acres) is federally owned. This includes everything from the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park to hiking trails or hunting grounds managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
But a provision added to the "Big Beautiful Bill" in the U.S. Senate has raised alarms among some lawmakers.
- Read the provision below
The proposal could force the federal government to sell up to 3.3 million acres of public lands across 11 Western states, including Colorado, to build housing and address a nationwide housing shortage.
In a press call Friday, members of Colorado’s Democratic delegation criticized the proposal, saying it would threaten the state’s outdoor lifestyle. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO) pointed out that 60% of his district is federal land.
“Anyone who has spent time in Wolcott in Eagle County or camped at North Sand Hills in Jackson County knows how integral these lands are to our way of life and the need to preserve them for future generations,” Neguse said on the call.
The proposal requires the BLM and the US Forest Service to solicit nominations for lands to convert into private ownership. However, national parks, national monuments, and wild and scenic rivers would be excluded, as well as lands with grazing permits, oil and gas leases, mining claims, and rights of way.
Because of those restrictions, Senator Michael Bennet's office said many of Colorado's recreation areas could be at risk, including 18 Road in Fruita, Hartman Rocks in Gunnison, and Animas City Mountain in Durango.
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Jessica Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, expressed concerns over the ambiguity of the provision.
"What might seem like a barren parcel on a senator's desk on a map is actually a place where Coloradans hike, camp, hunt, ATV, climb, and so much more," Turner said.
While acknowledging the need for housing solutions in Colorado, Turner emphasized that there is already a mechanism to sell or lease public land for housing.
“We’re willing to improve the process if improvements are needed, but we don't need a whole new process that takes away the safeguards for communities and access,” she said.
The Common Sense Institute, an economic think tank, recently released a report highlighting the housing shortage as a significant factor driving Colorado’s high cost of living. Although the institute did not take a stance on using federal land for housing, spokesperson DJ Summers indicated that exploring such options could be beneficial.
“A lot of cities in the country have done that in the past," Summers said. "They've looked into lease-back programs or even giving away public lands to private developers to increase home availability."
However, Summers also stressed the importance of tourism and recreation in Colorado’s economy, suggesting that any proposal affecting these areas, including the sale of federal lands, would require further analysis.
Representative Lauren Boebert (R - CO) released a statement, saying the new provision in the Senate bill "promotes coordination, respects state and local priorities, and reflects a more sustainable approach to land management."
