Trump administration plans to sell public lands to states, tribes and local governments. Trump’s own former Interior secretary is against it
The Trump administration announced this week that it plans to sell portions of federal land to states, local governments, and Tribes, according to The Hill. The proposal drew opposition from Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican and Trump’s first-term Interior secretary. Zinke “remains firmly opposed to the sale or transfer of public lands,” his office said, per the Associated Press. The Interior Department’s new strategic plan covers 2026 through 2030 and aims to shrink the federal estate.
The department claims the sales will help it focus on its primary responsibilities and lands of national significance. A portion of the money might go back to buyers for conservation projects. The proposal follows the administration’s move to strip protections from roadless forests. Zinke’s office said he would vote against any legislation on the issue that comes up before he leaves Congress after this term.
He also recommended shrinking Bears Ears National Monument while serving as Interior secretary. The fight is familiar for Zinke, as he helped lead the push to strip a public land sale provision from the House version of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill last year. Senate Republicans later tried to add public land sales to their version of the bill. That provision was also removed amid significant bipartisan pushback.
Zinke has already helped stop a similar land sale push once
Kate Groetzinger, communications director at the Center for Western Priorities, warned that the land may not stay in public hands once it is sold. “There’s nothing stopping a state or a local government or a tribe from turning around and selling land to a private developer,” Groetzinger said. Groetzinger argued that land developers might want to sit near communities, where people tend to spend the most time outdoors. “Public lands are part of the culture and the lifestyle out west,” Groetzinger said.
The administration also plans to consolidate its workforce. Details remain thin, as the plan does not spell out what consolidation means for employees. When asked whether this change would lead to layoffs, department spokespeople did not provide an answer. They also did not respond to questions about the planned land sales.
The workforce push comes as The Washington Post reported this week that the administration is weighing a “realignment” of the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. That reportedly includes “pending duty station changes,” which could shift where staff work. A recent Fish and Wildlife Service report also recommends moving positions from headquarters and regional offices to wildlife refuges.
Federal law already puts some limits on how this land can be sold
Most federal land sits in Western states, and the Interior Department oversees more than 750,000 square miles, an area larger than Texas and California combined. Nevada alone is almost 80% under federal control.
Sales would fall under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the 1976 law that generally directs the Bureau of Land Management to keep most of its land in federal hands. Under the law, public land must sell for at least fair market value. Congress must also get advance notice before any tract larger than 2,500 acres is sold.
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