By Ramona Cornell Du Houx
May 11, 2026
Washington, D.C. – On May 11, 2026, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced they introduced the Public Lands Integrity Act, new legislation to ensure that America’s public lands cannot be sold as part of a fast-tracked process in a budget reconciliation bill.
During consideration of the Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Betrayal” budget reconciliation bill that passed in July 2025 on a party-line simple majority vote, Senate Republicans nearly passed a provision to sell one to three million acres of federal public lands to generate revenue all to fund Republicans’ tax cuts for billionaires. Merkley and Wyden worked to build strong bipartisan opposition alongside lawmakers, states, counties, and sportsmen’s groups across the West. The Senate ultimately abandoned the provision.
“Republicans have proved they will stop at nothing to sell off our country’s public lands to the highest bidder,” said Sen. Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “This bill would help keep public lands in public hands by closing arcane loopholes that allow Republicans to carry out their fantasies of selling our beloved forests and lands off to billionaires.”
Today, under current rules, any US Senator could propose expedited public land sales in a future budget reconciliation bill. The Public Lands Integrity Act would eliminate that option.
“Oregonians and folks across America are united with a clear message—our public lands are not for sale,” said Sen. Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee. “These beloved natural treasures belong to all of us, contributing to the spirit and economies of communities all over the United States. As Republicans attempt to rip away public lands from public use, I will fight like hell to protect and preserve our public lands for generations to come.”
America’s public lands are owned by the public and managed to provide public benefits in perpetuity. This legislation would prevent the sale of federal public lands through expedited Senate procedures under the budget reconciliation process by amending the Congressional Budget Act’s (CBA) “Byrd Rule.”
“Public lands are part of the heritage and economy of rural communities like Polk County. Decisions about permanently selling those lands deserve full public debate and transparency, not a rushed budget process. Once public lands are sold, they are very difficult to get back,” said Jeremey Gordon, Polk County Commissioner.
The reconciliation process – established under the CBA – allows legislation affecting revenue and spending to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote. To prevent the inclusion of unrelated policy, Congress amended the CBA to include the “Byrd Rule,” which makes “extraneous” provisions subject to a point of order and a 3/5th majority vote. The Public Lands Integrity Act would define provisions resulting in the sale, transfer, or disposal of federal public lands as extraneous, making it significantly harder to permanently dispose of public lands that provide long-term benefits to the American people.
“I am grateful that Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are cosponsoring the Public Lands Integrity Act to protect America’s public lands from short sales to fund budget ‘crises’ caused by the current or future administrations,” said Mary Faith Bell, Tillamook County Commissioner. “America’s public lands, meant to be held in trust for the benefit of the people in perpetuity, are our collective treasures, and they should be fiercely protected for generations to come.”
Specifically, the Public Lands Integrity Act would:
- Designate any reconciliation provision resulting in the sale or disposal of federal public lands as “extraneous” under the “Byrd Rule”;
- Allow any Senator to raise a “Byrd Rule” point of order against the sale of federal public lands in a reconciliation bill; and
- Ensure that decisions about the future of federal public lands are debated through regular legislative order, rather than rushed through expedited and typically partisan budget procedures.
“Our national parks and public lands reflect our shared history and values. Americans love our 433 national parks, from Gettysburg and the Statue of Liberty to Rocky Mountain and Crater Lake. And for more than a century, Congress has upheld a promise to protect them. We commend Senators Wyden, Merkley, Bennet, and Heinrich for standing up for that promise. America’s legacy isn’t for sale, and the Public Lands Integrity Act would help ensure these places are protected and preserved as they deserve to be,” said Tucker Johnson, Associate Director of Government Affairs for National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
Public lands are a generational legacy for all Americans – an American birthright – and are part of our identity, culture, and rural economies. Once they are sold and in private hands, they’re gone forever. Our public lands provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and abundant opportunities for recreation, fishing, hunting, and solitude for every American, and they are the ancestral homes of our indigenous people. Our system of public lands is the envy of countries across the globe – we owe it to ourselves and future generations to ensure these lands remain in public hands,” said Jana Johnson, Executive Director, Deschutes Trails Coalition.
The Public Lands Integrity Act was led by Colorado’s U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and also cosponsored by New Mexico’s U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. The text of the bill is available by clicking HERE. A summary of the bill is available by clicking HERE. Letters of support for the legislation can be found by clicking HERE.