Selling Off Our Public Lands? A Line We Cannot Cross.

Visitors love Zion National Park and the surrounding land for its breathtaking canyons, hanging gardens and wildlife, such as bighorn sheep. From the moment I first set foot in the park, I knew it was one of the most extraordinary places on earth. I’ve spent more than a decade living in Utah and working to protect Zion.

But each year, driving the scenic byway into the park, I’ve watched new development creep closer to the park’s boundary, slowly encroaching on that open space that gives Zion that feeling of true wildness. And now, we’re at a line we cannot cross.

Selling off sites that belong to all Americans through a backdoor deal without any public input or accountability is the antithesis of American values.

As part of legislation that Congress is expected to vote on next week, 311 acres of public land directly adjacent to the park’s southern border — along with public lands lining State Road 9, the Zion Scenic Byway and other roads used by visitors to enter Zion — could be sold off for development. This move could permanently alter the park’s iconic views by opening the door to inappropriate development, such as new luxury housing, hotels or something else entirely.

How is this possible?

In early May, the House Committee on Natural Resources voted to direct the Department of the Interior to transfer thousands of acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada to counties and other local entities, which in turn could auction off the lands to the highest bidder without any public process, environmental review or community engagement.

Park advocates have witnessed and successfully prevented similar threats in Utah before, and while the counties have not shared their plans for the parcels publicly or stated they would sell the land for development, the possibility for them to do so exists.

A majority of American voters in Western states, regardless of political affiliation, oppose giving away public land to state and local governments or selling it off to private development interests. These aren’t just open spaces. They are habitats for park wildlife and many of the iconic landscapes that make national parks America’s best idea. Yet, some members of the House Natural Resources Committee chose to go against Americans’ interest and expose Zion National Park, one of the most visited parks, to the outrageous idea of selling our public land for financial gain.

The amendment is part of larger legislation that the committee chairman described as “generating more than $18.5 billion in new revenue and savings for the American people by unleashing the United States’ abundant natural resources.” 

What the proposed legislation really does is reshape national parks and public lands by greenlighting the sell-off of public lands in Utah and Nevada, clawing back Inflation Reduction Act funding originally set aside to address the climate crisis, proposing further slashes to an already understaffed National Park Service, and accelerating oil and gas leasing near public lands.

In creating this amendment, the committee did not engage public or local community input or environmental review. There was no congressional hearing, and a vote was rushed through by a split vote at midnight.

Selling off sites that belong to all Americans through a backdoor deal without any public input or accountability is the antithesis of American values. Over 100 years ago, the National Park System was established to preserve these special places.

Local communities have repeatedly raised concerns over development encroaching on Zion, risking wildlife habitat and the visitor experience — and selling these extraordinary lands could leave them exploited, divided and mismanaged.

If Congress allows a public lands sell-off to happen near a treasure like Zion, they are putting all of America’s national parks and public lands at risk.

The best way to protect Zion’s future is to ensure the public land around it remains in the hands of the public, not sold off piece by piece. That’s why American taxpayers for generations have trusted and equipped land management agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to protect our cherished places now and into the future.

If Congress allows a public lands sell-off to happen near a treasure like Zion, they are putting all of America’s national parks and public lands at risk. NPCA is calling on Congress to pull this back-door deal from any legislation and protect the lands that protect our parks.