SEATTLE — A sweeping federal budget bill making its way through Congress is sparking outrage among some in Washington state.
The proposal, part of what President Donald Trump is calling his “Big Beautiful Bill,” includes a provision that would open the door to selling off millions of acres of federal public lands—more than 5 million acres in Washington alone. The complete proposal would open up more than 255 million acres to potentially sold across the greater United States. Monday evening, the Senate threw out the proposal, deeming it ineligible under budget reconciliation process rules.
Critics say the move is a thinly veiled land grab, one that could have irreversible consequences.
"Once these public lands are sold, they're gone forever and that's something most Americans should care about," said Tristan Henry with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The group is one of many environmental organizations raising alarms.
The measure is tucked into a sprawling budget bill aimed at making Trump-era tax cuts permanent. It would require the federal government to sell up to 3 million acres of public land across 11 western states over the next five years, including large swaths near Mount Rainier and throughout the Cascade Mountain Range.
Supporters argue the land should be under local control. State Rep. Phil Fortunato (R–Auburn) said the bill gives priority to states, tribes, and local governments to purchase the land before it ever hits the open market.
“Why in the world would we allow the federal government to maintain control of state lands within our state, when we would have the opportunity to have that control locally?” Fortunato said.
But Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave Upthegrove, isn’t buying it. In a statement, he called the move an “ill-conceived proposal” that undermines public interest.
“Our public lands and forests are more than beautiful landscapes—they are the heart of who we are as Washingtonians and Americans,” Upthegrove said. “I will do everything I can to support our senators as they push back against this reckless, short-sighted scheme.”
The bill, which has passed the House, is now being debated in the Senate. Should it pass, it would head to the president’s desk for a signature.
The Sierra Club, one of the oldest and largest environmental groups in the country, is also voicing opposition. “Public lands shouldn’t have a price tag on them,” a spokesperson said.
Apparent conflicting figures about the scope of the proposed transfer stem from the bill’s structure: an immediate transfer of some land from federal control, followed by a slower process allowing more federal land to become eligible for sale.