Don’t Be Distracted—They’re Trying to Sell Off the West
oh we're fired up this week
I promise this isn’t turning into an angry policy newsletter (ok actually I’m not sure yet), but I have to talk about something real quick: There’s a lot our current administration is trying to slide under the radar, masked by all the other chaos. But one of the biggest threats right now? A massive public lands sell-off moving through the Senate. This proposal would put millions of acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land up for auction.
Look, I get it. There’s a lot to care about right now. And no, this isn’t a direct human rights crisis like so many of the other terrifying things happening in the world. But it still matters. Public lands are one of the few things we actually share in this country. They’re meant to be for everyone—regardless of income, zip code, or political party. When we start quietly selling them off to developers, we’re not just losing access to nature. We’re giving up something foundational: the idea that some places should exist for the public good, not private gain.
Here’s What’s Happening
Back in May, a similar proposal was successfully removed from the President’s budget bill after public backlash. But now, Utah Senator Mike Lee is trying to sneak a new version through while everyone rides the high of that win—and this one is even worse. The last proposal would’ve opened up 500,000 acres. This one puts millions up for development across Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
This isn’t a bipartisan issue. Everyone—on the right and the left—loves public lands. Even some of the most conservative lawmakers in states like Montana (shout out Ryan Zinke) have long been vocal defenders of access to wild places. The only people this bill benefits are wealthy developers and corporations.
Here’s a map of land up for sale right outside of Salt Lake City, where I used to live. This is land Mike Lee wants to hand over to developers under the guise of “affordable housing,” claiming the federal government has “terribly managed” it.
In a recent video, Lee said, “We’re opening underused federal land to expand housing, support local development and get Washington D.C. out of the way of communities that are just trying to grow.”
Bullshit.
If you live in Salt Lake, you know this land isn’t underused. It’s some of the most visited in the state. It’s where families go for weekend picnics. Where teenagers learn to fly fish with their uncles. Where runners, hikers, and mountain bikers share the same trail systems. It’s not some untouched, abandoned swath of bare earth. It’s public land. And it belongs to everyone.
Here’s a photo I took in 2021 on a hike in that exact area:
According to an article in Outdoor Life, this bill would drastically reshape the West:
An attorney, Willms has parsed the bill’s language and concluded that, in both its wording and intention, it intends to remake the map of the Western United States by allowing the sale of public lands that could be used for nearly any purpose under an expansive “associated community needs” definition. He says that could include AI data centers, ski areas, golf courses, or consolidation of large ranches.
I may live on the East Coast now (like most of my readers), but just because I can’t drive to these trailheads or rivers in 30 minutes doesn’t mean they aren’t just as rightfully mine. If this pisses you off too, start by calling your reps—especially if you live in one of the affected states. Then tell your friends. (Or just tell your friends, whatever you can stomach right now.)
Things I’ve Liked This Week:
🍍 I wrote about clear protein powders for GQ (because I hate that milky shit) and one of my favs for summer is Oath because I want to drink a pina colada a day!
🧠 Another article of the week that I got TONS of feedback on (thanks guys): using nicotine gum for my year-long brain fog. My friend asked me if this was a PR-pitched story. Nope, I literally just chew nicorette everyday of my life and look like a recovering smoker.
🌙 The dryer in my apartment costs money and I never have quarters so I had to hang up my beloved Quince Bamboo Dream Quilt to dry and it took days and I missed it so much.
🌀 So many publications have been writing about the cognitive dissonance we’ve all been experiencing and somehow that makes me feel less alone.
🥊 WIRED’s How to Win a Fight package is perfectly executed.
🛏️ I attended the dreamiest dinner hosted by mattress brand Purple for the launch of their rejuvenate collection and let me tell you, I would gladly sleep on one of those beds every night
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K, love you, bye! 🍓