DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity is running full-page ads in the Denver Post and Salt Lake Tribune today blasting Senate Republican efforts to liquidate millions of acres of public lands across the West.

Today’s ads call out Utah Sen. Mike Lee for championing the sell-off and warn that developers are lining up to profit from the privatization of lands that belong to the American people.

“Mike Lee and Senate Republicans are waging an all-out war on the West, trying to pull off the largest public lands heist in U.S. history,” said Laiken Jordahl, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “They want to pave over your favorite campsite and seize your favorite hiking trail so billionaires can build private playgrounds and shut the rest of us out. We put these ads in the heart of the West to call out this shameless land grab and make sure people fight like hell to stop it.”

Lee’s proposal would require public lands sales from more than 250 million acres in 11 Western states, exempting only Montana. Lands at risk include popular recreation areas, hunting and fishing spots, culturally sensitive areas, wildlife and endangered species habitats, public water sources, and nearly 100,000 miles of trails.

Following a ruling this week from the Senate parliamentarian, the original sell-off language was stripped from the reconciliation package for violating the Byrd Rule. But within hours Lee vowed to reintroduce a revised version and stated that he’s “just getting started.”

Lee’s plans would force the immediate nomination of lands for auction, with no environmental review, Tribal consultation, or public input. There is no requirement that liquidated public lands be used for affordable housing. The sell-off provisions will lead to rampant land speculation, profiteering and permanent loss of public access.

The Interior and Agriculture secretaries would be given unprecedented authority to decide which lands to privatize, possibly including rushed sales of lands within national monuments if the president unlawfully attempts to remove protections for those monuments.

Selling public lands is unpopular. A 2025 survey found that 82% of Western voters oppose selling public lands to address housing challenges in their state, while 83% of voters say the loss of natural areas is a serious problem.

On Monday more than 100 nonprofit organizations sent a letter urging Western governors to oppose Lee’s sell-off plan, while thousands of people rallied in support of public lands outside the annual Western Governors Association meeting.