Opinion: Rebranded but Still Rotten, Sen. Mike Lee Updates His Public Land Sell-Off

Senator Mike Lee is backpedaling … sort of.

After proposing a sell-off of 3 million acres of public land, he was met with a massive backlash from hunters, anglers, ranchers, and public land users across the country.

The Senate parliamentarian dealt him another blow, ruling that public land sales can’t be included in the reconciliation package he planned to use to push this scheme forward. It’s a win for now, but let’s not get comfortable. Lee is already hinting that this fight isn’t over.

In a post on X, he’s scrambling to clean it up by pretending he’s listening to “the American people” and “Hunter Nation.”

He wants a gold star for walking back the worst parts of his plan. He’s not getting one.

This is still a public land grab, just dressed up in softer language.

Let’s break it down:

Forests Off the Table … For Now

Lee now says “ALL Forest Service land” will be removed from the bill. That should have been the case from the start. Removing national forests from the proposal is not a concession. It’s just pandering.

The bill still targets Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acreage, just with a new set of vague restrictions. The threat hasn’t gone away. It’s just gotten sneakier.

Five Miles From Town Is Still Our Land

Lee claims the bill now only includes BLM land within 5 miles of “population centers.” He hasn’t defined what counts as a population center or how those boundaries are drawn. That’s a problem.

Five miles from cities like Bozeman, Missoula, Denver, or Flagstaff includes high-use public lands. These areas see daily foot traffic from hunters, hikers, mountain bikers, and families. Losing access to these lands would be a blow to the people who live nearby and rely on them most.

Saying it’s “just 5 miles” is a distraction. It’s still public land, and it still belongs to all of us.

This is just stripping opportunity and access from those who need it most.

WTF Is a Freedom Zone, Mike?

Lee’s new proposal includes the creation of so-called “FREEDOM ZONES” to benefit American families. That sounds like marketing, not meaningful policy.

He hasn’t explained what these zones are, how they would work, or who would benefit. Without details, this is just another vague promise meant to distract from the fact that he’s still pushing to sell land that doesn’t belong to him.

Ranchers and Hunters Aren’t Falling for This

Sen. Mike Lee claims this plan will protect farmers, ranchers, and recreational users. That would be more convincing if those groups hadn’t already come out swinging against the bill.

Ranchers rely on grazing access. Hunters need uninterrupted habitat. Anglers need shorelines that remain open. Selling off public land puts all of that in jeopardy.

It’s disingenuous to say this bill protects people when it threatens the land they depend on.

Same Bad Idea, New Packaging

Public pressure forced Lee to make changes. That doesn’t mean this bill is fixed. It’s not.

This is still a plan to take public land out of public hands. That’s the heart of the issue, and that hasn’t changed. If this version passes, it sets a precedent. It tells every politician looking to trade land for cash that they might get away with it.

That’s why we’re not settling. We’re not compromising. We cannot give up a single acre.

Stay Loud, Stay Angry, Stay Engaged

Make noise. Call your senators. Email your representatives. Show up at town halls.

Tell them that your public land is not for sale.

Use the hashtag #NotOneAcre and #PublicLandsInPublicHands on social media and tag the people pushing this bill.

Support the groups on the front lines of this fight. Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and HOWL. Back the local groups that protect the places where you bike, hunt, fish, camp, and hike.

Stay vocal. Stay engaged. Do not let them sell what belongs to all of us.

NOT ONE ACRE, Mike.

Not now. Not ever.