Mountain Bikers Wary of Changes to Public Lands Sell-Off Bill

Outdoor recreationalists, conservationists, hunters, anglers and other public lands users are breathing a cautious sigh of relief with the news that a provision to privatize some 3 million acres of public lands has been blocked.

But there’s one group of outdoor athletes who are still wary despite the news: mountain bikers.

The provision’s author, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), has acknowledged the decision of the nonpartisan Senate Parliamentarian who decides what can and cannot be done under the Senate's budget reconciliation process under the provisions of the Byrd Rule.

In retooling his bill to meet the Byrd Rule requirement, Lee posted on his X account that his new bill would now only include BLM land within 5 miles of population centers.

“Americans have spoken,” Lee posted on X June 23. “Hunter nation has spoken. I’ve listened and made substantial changes to the lands proposal to accommodate their concerns.”

Related: IMBA Addresses Public Lands Sell-Off Proposal

But many mountain biking trail systems throughout the western United States are located on BLM land within five miles of communities and could still be impacted.

Sen. Lee's new proposal also calls for the mandatory sale of 0.25 to 0.5 percent of BLM land. This is down from 0.5 to 0.75 percent called for in the original proposal. Still, IMBA and other groups say they have issues with the new proposal.

"As expected, the proposal puts close-to-home trails at risk," the International Mountain Bicycling Association posted on its website. "The proposal calls for the mandatory sale of 0.25-0.5% of BLM land, estimated to be up to 1.2 million acres. It does not define 'population center.' If based on the U.S. Census definitions, that could include towns as small as 2,500 people."

“Senator Mike Lee’s new proposal would sell off an unprecedented amount of public lands," said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. "Outdoor Alliance’s preliminary analysis of the bill shows that the overlap between lands for sale and outdoor recreation resources is considerable. The outdoor recreation community has already spoken loud and clear: We don’t want our public lands sold off. But Senator Lee just won’t take no for an answer. This proposal puts close-to-home BLM recreation at extreme risk. Lawmakers should listen to their constituents and the outdoor recreation community and reject this misguided proposal.”

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Outdoor organizations, including the IMBA, are urging the public to continue following the expected changes to the proposed public land policy in the bill.

"Bureau of Land Management land within five miles of population centers is crucial for close-to-home trails many western communities depend on for health, wellbeing, and economic activity," the IMBA said in a post. "Trails like Lunch Loops in Grand Junction, CO or trails surrounding Moab, UT could still be at risk depending on what protections a proposal would include for existing recreation and how a proposal defines a population center. Moreover, any proposal within reconciliation would not follow the established agency-led public land disposal process which includes opportunities for public engagement and directs sale proceeds to the Federal Land Disposal Account."

One of the IMBA's stated missions is to help develop mountain biking trails close to communities.

"Trails close to home mean more quick hits for mental health and fun," IMBA says on its website. "In large cities and small rural towns alike, trails enhance quality of life, provide economic benefits and create community. We know all of this because IMBA and our local partners have been making these things happen worldwide for 35+ years, and we want to make sure trails happen in more places, more rapidly."

The Parliamentarian determined that Lee's proposal to sell off public lands was policy-driven and considered "extraneous," and did not meet the requirement of the Byrd Rule of having a direct and substantive impact on the federal budget.

Lee has argued that the purpose of the public land sell-off proposal would be to free up land for affordable housing, but those opposed to the bill have said the real purpose is to sell lands for mining, logging and other extractive revenue, and to make prime land available for wealthy purchasers, all while generating revenue to offset tax cuts for the top one-percent outlined in the greater One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

Outdoor organizations are asking the public to contact their representatives to express their opinions about any potential public land sell-off.

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While the significant scaling back of Sen. Lee's public lands provision is good news to those who opposed it, many mountain biking trail systems throughout the West would be included within the 5-mile limit, including the Salida Mountain Trail System just outside of Salida, Colorado, the White Mesa Mountain Bike Trails near San Ysidro, New Mexico and Cottonwood Valley Trail System just west of Las Vegas.

Commenters on mountain biking and outdoor forums have been urging others to remain vigilant regarding the expected BLM land sell-off proposal.

"Not off yet" one poster commented on Reddit r/MTB. "They are still pushing to see what they can get away with. This would still include trails near St. George, Reno, Las Vegas (bootleg), Moab, Salt Lake City and many more."

"I emailed my favorite bike brand and implored them to start sharing user stories of how and where we ride their bikes," another commenter wrote. "These companies use gorgeous photos from remote locations to sell their bikes - it’d be easy for them to provide meaningful context about what public lands mean to every person who adventures outdoors."

The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week in order to have the passed bill on President Trump's desk for signature before the Fourth of July holiday. Senators may be contacted through Senate.gov.