Kelly opposes GOP public land sale proposal: 'Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good'

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, says he opposes the potential sale of millions of acres of public land in Arizona and other states. That’s included in a proposed spending bill crafted by Senate Republicans.

The Senate bill proposes selling or dispersing more than 120 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land in Arizona and 10 other states, according to a data analysis by the Wilderness Society. The group says the sale could include more than 250 million acres all told. Lawmakers say the land could be sold to be used for affordable housing.

Politics

What to know about the GOP plan to sell Western public land, including in Arizona

Rachel Cohen

Proponents say the land would be used for much-needed housing, but environmental groups say eligible areas could include those treasured by communities in the Mountain West.

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That includes southern Arizona favorites like portions of Sabino Canyon and Mount Lemmon — a cherished mountain range just outside Tucson that’s frequented by cyclists, runners, climbers and campers. It also includes portions of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests north of Payson, and the Tonto National Forest north of Phoenix.

Kelly says he opposes the sale of any public land in Arizona.

“These public lands are part of who we are as they support our economy, protect our environment, and offer Arizonans a place to hike, hunt, and explore,” he said in a statement. “Selling them off to fund Trump’s tax giveaways to billionaires is reckless and wrong. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good —lost forever to public use and conservation.”

All told, the Senate bill puts forth more than 2 million acres in Arizona alone.