Democratic and Republican governors from Western U.S. states united on Monday to oppose a controversial Senate Republican proposal to sell off up to 3.3 million acres of federally owned land. The plan, part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill, has sparked backlash from conservationists, protesters, and even members within the GOP.
Speaking at a Western governors' meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham voiced strong opposition, stating, “They belong to all of us.” She was joined by Republican Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Colorado Governor Jared Polis in rejecting the idea of a large-scale land auction. Gordon emphasized that land use decisions should be made locally, not as part of a broad federal selloff.
The Senate proposal would allow the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to sell between 2.2 million and 3.3 million acres across 11 Western states, aiming to raise up to $10 billion by using the land for housing development. However, critics argue that the plan threatens conservation efforts and public access to cherished landscapes.
Outside the Santa Fe hotel hosting the event, thousands gathered in protest. Demonstrators, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, were met with chants and signs opposing the public land sales. One protester, Tony Sophie of Placitas, New Mexico, described public lands as his “church,” underscoring the emotional and cultural importance of preserving these spaces.
Under the current Senate tax bill draft, Burgum and Rollins would have significant authority over which lands are sold. Western governors insisted that any such decisions be approached carefully and with input from local communities. The bipartisan resistance signals a major hurdle for the proposed land sale initiative.