EVERETT — U.S. Senator Mike Lee removed a proposal to sell millions of acres of public lands, including areas in Snohomish County, from the Republicans’ tax bill.
On June 11, Lee, a Utah Republican and chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released bill text revealing plans to sell off U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land as part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill.
In Snohomish County, popular hiking trails by Lake 22 and Heather Lake, land surrounding Gold Mountain, parts of Helena Ridge and areas of Mount Pilchuck would have been up for sale.
Last week, a ruling from Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled against Lee’s proposal because it didn’t follow a Senate rule that bars non-budget items from being included in reconciliation bills.
Opposition to the proposal from both sides of the aisle sent Lee to post on X, writing he would take out U.S. Forest Service land and decrease BLM acreage.
But on Saturday, Lee posted on X that he withdrew the provision from the bill.
“I continue to believe the federal government owns far too much land – land it is mismanaging and in many cases ruining it for the next generation,” his statement said. “President Trump promised to put underutilized federal land to work for American families, and I look forward to helping him achieve that in a way that respects the legacy of our public lands and reflects the values of the people who use them most.”
Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.
Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.
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