Housing Crisis & Federal Land Management

The housing crisis is particularly severe in Western states like Utah, where the federal government controls a large percentage of land (approximately 70%).
Making a small percentage of underused federal land available could address housing affordability issues.

The Department of the Interior controls about 480,000,000 acres of surface land.
Adding the U.S. Forest Service, the total is approximately 680,000,000 acres.
1% of this total would be 6,800,000 acres.

Senator Harry Reid passed bipartisan legislation called the Southern Nevada Lands Act, which provided a framework for disposing of lands in Southern Nevada, especially in Clark County around Las Vegas.
A land transaction involving only 41 acres generated $16,750,000$ for the federal government.
Another 80-acre parcel was sold to build affordable housing.

Since February, two land swaps have been conducted in Utah.
These swaps involved exchanging land between the federal government and the state to consolidate land ownership patterns.

There are approximately 250,000 acres of federal land within a few miles of cities with populations of 5,000 or more.
States like Idaho, Utah, and Nevada have a high percentage of federal land, presenting an opportunity to lower housing costs.

The Department of the Interior faces a significant maintenance backlog, estimated at more than $33,000,000,000$ . Past administrations prioritized land acquisition over stewardship.
The revenue generated from land sales could be reinvested into recreation and educational opportunities.

The proposal to consider lands for sale involves identifying acres with high value for alternative uses like housing and low value for recreation or mineral resources.
These lands are typically adjacent to fast-growing population centers in states with high percentages of federal land (Idaho, Alaska, Utah, and Nevada).
There will be a transparent and public process, including public meetings, before offering potential lands for sale.
National parks and other sacred places will not be considered for sale.
The focus is on barren land near highways with existing billboards that constrain city infrastructure.

FLPFA is a federal program available to every state that allows funds generated from public land sales to be used for recreation, access, and conservation.
Housing is being developed in New Mexico using this framework.

There are no plans to downsize the National Park System by disposing of hundreds of smaller park units to make up for a budget deficit.
There is a focus on reducing overhead and improving efficiency within the park service budget.

The existing data and information systems make it difficult to obtain accurate visitation data and other relevant information for decision-making.
The goal is to create a data-driven framework for making informed decisions about land management and resource allocation.