The proposal to sell up to 3 million acres of public land was removed from the federal budget bill on June 28, following weeks of public outcry and political opposition from both citizens and lawmakers.

Utah Senator Mike Lee, who initially introduced the land sale provision as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, announced that he had withdrawn the language after hearing concerns from constituents, outdoor groups and fellow lawmakers.

“Over the past several weeks, I've spent a lot of time listening to members of the community, local leaders, and stakeholders across the country,” stated Lee in a post on X. “While there has been a tremendous amount of misinformation — and in some cases, outright lies  — about my bill, many people brought forward serious concerns.”

Lee explained that he was unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards that would prevent foreign interests from purchasing the land.

 “For that reason, I've made the decision to withdraw the federal land sale provision from the bill,” Lee stated.

Idaho Republican Representative Mike Simpson publicly opposed the land sale language. 

According to a statement from Lexi Hamel, Simpson’s senior advisor and communications director, the congressman “... fought to have the language in the House budget reconciliation that would sell off public lands taken out.”

“You can be sure that Congressman Simpson will continue fighting to keep public lands in public hands while supporting President Trump’s full policy agenda,” wrote Hamel in an email to Scroll.

Idaho Republican Senator Jim Risch also celebrated the removal of the land sale provision. 

“The people of Idaho have been clear — we do NOT support the sale of our public lands to the highest bidder,” Risch posted to X. “I am proud to help lead the effort to remove this provision.”

BYU-Idaho college students who love the outdoors say the outcome shows that public voices can make a real difference.

“It feels good to know that the government still listens to the people,” said Jason LeFevre, a finance major at BYUI who works with the university’s outdoor recreation services. “This country was based on the principle of 'we the people.' I think the people really voiced their concerns well, and I’m glad their representatives listened.”

LeFevre frequently enjoys exploring public lands and added that helping others enjoy Idaho’s outdoors is his favorite part of recreation. 

“My favorite part of recreation in Idaho is helping build people’s confidence in themselves and building lasting core memories,” LeFevre said.

For Madie Wright, a communication major at BYUI, the potential loss of Idaho’s public lands was personal.

“The public lands mean so much to so many different groups of people; hunters, fishermen, mountain bikers, hikers, skiers and essentially anyone who likes outdoor recreation,” said Wright. 

BYUI is a school located in the middle of many public lands that students love to explore, from the Tetons to Yellowstone National Park.

“It is a privilege to attend school in Idaho, where there are so many of these wild areas left. To know that there was a new bill that had the potential to ruin them forever is heartbreaking,” Wright said.

Using a map published by the Outdoor Alliance, Wright pointed out her favorite places for recreation, Swan Valley, the Palisades and areas within the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho, as well as Wyoming’s Teton National Forest, were all at risk for being sold. 

“This bill would have essentially sold off these areas of land,” Wright said. "Upon purchase, they would immediately become private land and not be accessible to people for free use anymore. It’s bigger than that, though, because it means new lodges, new ski resorts, new multimillion-dollar homes. These would not only completely change these landscapes almost unrecognizably, but they would make outdoor recreation in these areas either almost inaccessible or highly expensive."

While the land sale language has now been removed from the bill, many still see the situation as a reminder to remain informed and vocal about conservation issues.