||| FROM KING-TV SEATTLE |||
A sweeping federal budget bill making its way through Congress is sparking outrage among some in Washington state.
The proposal, part of what former President Donald Trump is calling his “Big Beautiful Bill,” includes a provision that would open the door to selling off millions of acres of federal public lands—more than 5 million acres in Washington alone. The complete proposal would open up more than 255 million acres to potentially sold across the greater United States.
Critics say the move is a thinly veiled land grab, one that could have irreversible consequences.
“Once these public lands are sold, they’re gone forever and that’s something most Americans should care about,” said Tristan Henry with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The group is one of many environmental organizations raising alarms.
The measure is tucked into a sprawling budget bill aimed at making Trump-era tax cuts permanent. It would require the federal government to sell up to 3 million acres of public land across 11 western states over the next five years, including large swaths near Mount Rainier and throughout the Cascade Mountain Range.
Supporters argue the land should be under local control. State Rep. Phil Fortunato (R–Auburn) said the bill gives priority to states, tribes, and local governments to purchase the land before it ever hits the open market.
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