SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO)– South Dakotans are sharing their feelings on a draft provision apart of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would make federal lands available for sale.

Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, included the sale of federal lands in a draft provision of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The proposal has met criticism from conservationists and hunting groups from around the U.S.

If passed as written, it would make at least 250 million acres of public land available for sale, mandating at least two million of that be sold over the next five years, but Lee has stated that there will be changes to the provision in the coming days.

On Sunday, Lee responded to the criticism, saying on social media “Hunter Nation: You spoke, and I’m listening. I’ll be making changes in the coming days.” As of the time of posting this story, those changes are not out yet.

Republican Sen. John Thune said in an email to KELOLAND News that he is looking forward to seeing the final text.

Lee said in a video on his social media, said that the sales would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. They would instead target “isolated parcels” that could be used for housing or infrastructure.

Attorney Brett Koenecke of South Dakota shared his thoughts on the provision, saying if the federal government does sell the land, developing the land will be its own challenge.

“Some of the best parts of that western land are being sold to developers for more resorts, more homes, more of what really won’t work out here, because there is no water, no electricity, no sewage,” Koenecke said.

He said many people use that land for recreation, logging, grazing, hunting and mining.

“We need wild spaces in America, to allow for the continuation of the frontier spirit that made us who we are as a people,” he said.

Koenecke said there are processes and procedures where the federal government has bought land before, most notably in a land swap.

“Due to homesteading laws, there are inholdings where private people own chunks of land inside a larger piece of federal land,” Koenecke said. “Sometimes what the feds will do is entertain the notion of, if you own a quarter section in a federal national forest and the feds want to buy that quarter, they will trade you property on the edge to have a complete property inside the property.”

Koenecke said that the cost of developing the land will cost a large sum and very few will be able to develop those areas.

“Nobody can afford to develop where there is not already existing electricity, you would have to drill a well for water, you would have to put in a septic system to deal with your waste, you are going to have to have propane hauled out to you for heating. The cost of developing these areas for single family homes is extremely prohibitive,” Koenecke said.

Koenecke said the land is owned by the people and that it belongs to the public.

“They are public lands, they are owned by the people of America, not the federal government. They are owned by the people of America and managed by the federal government in trust for us,” Koenecke said. “Anybody can go out there and recreate, in many cases for free.”

Koenecke said their needs to be room for Americans to be free and public lands are a key way to do that.

“While South Dakota does not have any parcels, there are parcels in the Wyoming Black Hills that are on the chopping block and those spots shouldn’t be lived on,” Koenecke said. “Americans need space to be free and fortunately we have it still. I dislike the notion that U.S. Senate would sell it off to the highest bidder.”



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