What Congress' “Land‑Sale” Bill Means for Outdoor Lovers

Public Lands eligible for sale from National Forest Service (Green) and Bureau of Land Management (Orange)

Summary / TLDR

• What the Bill Does: The bill requires the sale of at least 2 million acres of public land over five years, with more than 250 million acres eligible—including forests, BLM land, wildlife habitat, and recreation zones. The sales would happen fast, behind closed doors, with no public input, and would be permanent.

• What You Can Do: Call your senators and ask them to oppose this land-selloff provision. Click here for for phone numbers and a script—it only takes a few minutes and makes a real impact.

• What Happens Next: The bill is moving quickly as part of the federal budget process. Without public pressure, it could quietly become law as soon July 4—so now is the time to speak up.

Want more details? Keep reading!

Why Access To Public Lands Matters

The mountains are for everyone.

Our job is to teach, guide, and share the wild places we love—from Mt. Shasta to Rainier, from Tahoe to Snoqualmie Pass. But what’s happening in Washington DC right now could reshape access to the places where we climb, ski, and connect with each other.

A new land-sale provision ("Federal Land Disposal Bill") buried in Congress’s latest budget bill could force the sale of millions of acres of public lands—no public input, no environmental review, and no guarantee of future access. That means trailheads could be gated. Skin tracks could be off-limits. Climbing zones could be sold. Once these places are gone, they don’t come back.

We rely on these landscapes every single day—to teach avalanche safety, to guide you to reach your objectives, and to grow a community built on shared respect for the outdoors. We therefore feel a responsibility to raise awareness while there’s still time to act.

Here’s what you need to know—about the bill, what it means for outdoor recreation, and how to make your voice heard.

1. What is Budget Reconciliation & What Happens Next?

2. What does the bill include?

3. How does it impact you?

4. Why act now?

5. What can you do?

1. What Is Budget Reconciliation & What Happens Next?

Reconciliation is a fast‑track legislative process for budget-related bills—covering taxes, spending, and debt. It allows the Senate to pass legislation with a simple majority (51 votes), bypassing the usual 60‑vote filibuster. This makes it harder for the minority party to block it.

In May, the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), its version of a reconciliation package. Now, the Senate is considering its own edition—with a headline feature: a forced sale of public lands.

If the Senate modifies OBBBA’s land‑sale provision:

• The House must either accept or reject the revised version.

• If the House accepts, the bill goes to the President for signing.

• If the House rejects, a conference committee negotiates a final text—both chambers must approve that before enactment.

Public/constituent pressure during each phase is powerful. It’s a chance to remove or limit the land‑sale language.

2. What Does The Bill Include?

• Mandated land‑sale target: 0.5–0.75% of all BLM and NFS lands—translating to 2.2–3.3 million acres sold in five years.

• Enormous eligibility pool: Over 250 million acres across 11 Western states could be offered—well beyond the minimum sales target.

• Quick calendar:

  1. Agencies must nominate sale parcels within 30 days of enactment.

  2. Then, every 60 days they must list more for sale until the quota is met—no public hearings, no comment periods.

• Open to any buyer: Private developers, wealthy individuals, resource extraction firms (e.g. mining & logging) — and states or tribes (assuming they can outbid others).

• Weak exclusions: While national parks, wilderness areas, refuges, and most existing leases (mining, drilling, grazing) were initially protected, recent bill versions have relaxed grazing protections and may threaten more land types.

• No criteria or limits: Agencies won’t need to weigh ecological, recreational, or cultural impacts in deciding what to sell—simply meet acreage goals .

3. How Does It Impact You?

This bill isn’t theoretical—it threatens the places we love:

• Hiking, climbing, skiing, biking, horseback, fishing and hunting grounds across 11 Western states are on the table.

• If you’ve taken an AIARE course with us in Tahoe or Snoqualmie Pass, or climbed with us on Mt Shasta, Mt Rainier, or Mt Baker—you’ve almost certainly been on public land that could be sold.

• Section of popular zones—Larch Mountain, Eagle Creek, Timothy Lake (Oregon); Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta, Yosemite borderlands (California); Snoqualmie Pass, Mt Baker & Mt Rainier (Washington); Desert peaks & ski zones (Nevada).

• Remote backcountry lands in Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming also qualify.

• Once sold, access can be revoked, trails gated, wildlife harmed, and watersheds developed—permanently.

Click here to explore the Full Map of Public Lands up for Sale.

Find your favorite spots to see how they'll be affected.

Here are some concrete examples and maps to illustrate the impact of these land sales.

Avalanche Gulch, the most popular route on Mt Shasta, would become inaccessible surrounded on three sides by private land. Bunny Flat Trailhead would become private land.

Extensive areas of old growth forests surrounding Mt Rainier National Park would also be up for sale, greatly limiting access to hikers and climbers to admire the most glaciated peak in the Lower 48. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park would be almost entirely encircled by private land, leaving only a few main roads for public access.

Like Lassen, Yosemite National Park and would be almost entirely surrounded by private lands, potentially leading dozen of access trails into and out of the park to be fenced off. Most of the Mono Lake shores would become private beachfront property.

Generations of skiers, climbers, and hikers have benefitted from access to Public Lands around Lake Tahoe. Even areas currently part of ski resorts (Heavenly, Alpine Meadows, Homewood) would be included in the sale. 

4. Why Act Now? 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has signaled intent to vote on the legislation sometime before July 4, 2025. This means:

• Sales could start by this fall.

• Every step—from nomination to public auctions—could begin without oversight or input.

5. What Can You Do?

1. Call Your Senators 

• Tell them you oppose the Federal Land Disposal Bill and support keeping public lands public. 

• It only take a few minutes to call, give them your zip code, along with the issue your calling about. Choose the option to speak directly to someone in their office instead of leaving a message. A quick call truly makes a difference!

• Calling is the most effective way to reach congress because: it's quicker for you, it gets tallied in real time, and there's no reading or sorting required by congressional aides

• • 5 Calls.org: CALL YOUR SENATORS

• • Senate.gov: Find & Contact Your Senators

• Feel free to use this script:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].

I’m calling to urge [REP/SENATOR NAME] to oppose H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill, and any provisions that authorize the sale of our public lands or the use of it for oil, mining, and timber production. Public lands should be protected and preserved for us and for future generations.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If leaving a voicemail: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.

2. Spread the Word

• Forward this email to your backcountry crew, climbing partners, and anyone who cares about preserving America's wild places.

3. Call your House Representative

• • House.gov: Find & Contact Your Representative

We all rely on these lands to teach, learn, connect with one another, and inspire a sense of wonder. Let’s keep them in public hands.