{"id":8776,"date":"2025-06-23T19:24:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T19:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/8776\/"},"modified":"2025-06-23T19:24:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T19:24:13","slug":"california-public-lands-sell-california-worlds-4th-largest-economy-in-trumps-crosshairs-as-he-plans-to-sell-off-land-in-mountain-towns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/8776\/","title":{"rendered":"california public lands sell: California, world’s 4th-largest economy, in Trump\u2019s crosshairs as he plans to sell off land in mountain towns"},"content":{"rendered":"

California public lands<\/a> at risk: Could mountain towns really survive this proposed land sell-off?- <\/strong>On the surface, it\u2019s just another hot summer day at Lake Tahoe, where families lounge along the 200-yard sandy stretch of Kiva Beach, swimmers float on Fallen Leaf Lake, and hikers make their way through alpine trails near Echo Lake. But beneath that peaceful scenery, a major storm is brewing \u2014 one that could put California\u2019s most iconic public lands and the mountain towns they support in serious jeopardy.<\/p>\n

A controversial proposal moving through the U.S. Senate threatens to sell up to 3 million acres of public land across 11 western states. California is directly in the crosshairs, with many fearing devastating impacts on outdoor recreation, local economies, and the natural beauty that draws millions each year.<\/p>\n

What does the Senate bill mean for California\u2019s public lands? The legislation in question, part of the Senate\u2019s so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” includes language pushed by Utah Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, that would allow the sale or transfer of up to 3 million acres of public land managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
What\u2019s alarming? The bill does not specify exactly which lands would be sold \u2014 and even worse, it doesn\u2019t allow for public input. That means local leaders, residents, and conservationists would have no say in which lands are put on the auction block.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bypasses existing protections and opens the door for massive sell-offs without local voices being heard,\u201d said Katie Hawkins, California Program Director at Outdoor Alliance.<\/p>\n

\"ETLive Events
How could this bill affect tourism-based mountain towns like Mammoth Lakes? Places like Mammoth Lakes, where 70% of the town\u2019s general fund relies on outdoor tourism, could be hit the hardest. Mayor Chris Bubser warned, \u201cIt threatens everything for us.\u201d Surrounded by public lands, Mammoth is a summer hotspot for camping, hiking, and fishing, drawing millions of visitors annually. If those lands were sold to private owners \u2014 potentially for logging, development, or other resource extraction \u2014 it could mean restricted public access, lost jobs, and a collapsed economy. \u201cIt would destroy our economy,\u201d Bubser added. \u201cOur town could die.\u201dAre Lake Tahoe and the Lost Sierra in danger too? Yes \u2014 and that\u2019s what\u2019s got locals and environmental groups so alarmed.<\/p>\n

Lake Tahoe, protected for decades by Congressional acts like the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, still has large areas managed by the Forest Service. According to maps from The Wilderness Society and Outdoor Alliance, several beloved spots in the Tahoe Basin could be eligible for sale under this bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill could reverse 50 years of standing land policy at Tahoe,\u201d said Julie Regan, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.<\/p>\n

In the Lost Sierra, a growing mountain biking community is currently building the Connected Communities trail system, aimed at linking 15 rural towns through a network of public land trails. If public land is sold, that entire project \u2014 and the small towns depending on it \u2014 could be at risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis land is what makes our trail network even possible,\u201d said Michelle Abramson of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.<\/p>\n

Who are the key political figures that can stop this land sell-off? Public lands advocates are urging people to contact their representatives \u2014 especially in California\u2019s Sierra Nevada, where three Republicans could play a key role: Kevin Kiley, Doug LaMalfa, and Tom McClintock.<\/p>\n

Representative Kevin Kiley, whose district includes Lake Tahoe, has already spoken against the bill. In a speech on the House floor, he said, \u201cThe communities most affected by our decisions must be willing partners in any plans made by the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last month, a public outcry successfully removed a similar proposal from the House version of the bill, which aimed to sell over 500,000 acres in Nevada and Utah. Now, groups like Outdoor Alliance are pushing for the same to happen in the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to keep the pressure up,\u201d Hawkins said. Constituents are encouraged to email and call both senators and House members to demand the land stays public.<\/p>\n

Why does this bill matter for the future of public lands and wildlife? Beyond the outdoor fun and economic benefits, public lands are essential habitats for wildlife. Mono County Supervisor Paul McFarland, who lives in Lee Vining, worries not just for the people, but for the ecosystems that depend on this open land.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the places that don\u2019t have someone to fight for them that I worry about,\u201d McFarland said, citing species like pronghorn antelope and cutthroat trout, which need vast stretches of land to survive.<\/p>\n

And while McFarland remains hopeful that Mono County will defend its lands, 94% of the county is federally managed public land \u2014 meaning nearly the entire area could be affected.<\/p>\n

What can Californians do to protect public lands right now? Right now, the most powerful tool is public pressure.<\/p>\n

Groups like Friends of the Inyo and Outdoor Alliance are urging everyone who values public access to nature \u2014 whether for hiking, skiing, biking, or simply breathing fresh air \u2014 to contact their elected officials immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic lands are what make Tahoe Tahoe,\u201d said Noa Banayan from the League to Save Lake Tahoe. \u201cWithout them, everything changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a snowy day on the slopes of Palisades Tahoe, a quiet moment at Mono Lake, or a rugged ride down Mount Hough, these lands belong to the public \u2014 and losing them could change California forever.<\/p>\n

FAQs: Q1. What is the California public lands sell-off<\/a> proposal about?<\/strong>
It’s a Senate bill that allows selling up to 3 million acres of California’s public land without public input.<\/p>\n

Q2. How could the California land sale affect towns like Mammoth Lakes and Tahoe?<\/strong>
It could harm tourism, limit public access, and damage local economies that depend on public lands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California public lands at risk: Could mountain towns really survive this proposed land sell-off?- On the surface, it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8777,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[64,9942,9941,9949,79,9943,9944,9703,9947,9945,9946,9948,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-8776","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-california-public-lands","10":"tag-california-public-lands-sell","11":"tag-california-tourism-threat","12":"tag-economy","13":"tag-lake-tahoe-land-threat","14":"tag-mammoth-lakes-land-sell-off","15":"tag-one-big-beautiful-bill","16":"tag-outdoor-recreation-impact","17":"tag-public-lands-sell-off","18":"tag-senate-land-sale-bill","19":"tag-sierra-nevada-land-risks","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114734318547366391","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}