Proposed Public Land Sale Sparks Backlash—Here’s Where Montana Stands
Montana is the fourth largest state by landmass in the country. Our beautiful and useful land is a big reason why many people live here.
In the west we take our public lands very seriously. Many Montanans rely on these public lands for their way of life.
There has been a lot of news recently about the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that has passed through the House in May of 2025. It has now been presented to the Senate for approval.
There is a lot to this bill. One important provision of the bill is the proposed sale of over 250 million acres of public lands in 11 western states. This proposal has been met with a lot of pushback from conservationists, hunting groups, and politicians, including our own.
Congressman Ryan Zinke Opposes Montana Land Sale
Congressman Ryan Zinke has been very vocal in his opposition of the proposed selling of the land. With his vocal opposition The Hill credits Zinke with making sure that Montana is one state not included in the land sale proposal.
ArcGIS.com has an interactive map of the proposed public lands eligible for sale.
Zinke stopped by the stations and spoke with Dennis Bragg, from the Montana News Network, and shared his thoughts on Montana's public lands.
I'm not an advocate for selling or transferring public lands. The reason why we live out West is we utilize our public lands and it's a legacy that was given to us by you know –the great ones, Teddy Roosevelt, Pinchot (Gifford), etc. and they have the idea that somehow we're going to get out of debt by selling public lands, it's just folly.
Zinke also urges citizens to use their voices and contact your representatives with your concerns.
To hear Congressman Ryan Zinke's more detailed answer about the proposed land sale click below.
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