Selling off our national heritage won’t solve America’s housing woes

I agree that some federal land could be better managed by states, local governments or even private owners. But we already have ways to responsibly transfer land on a parcel-by-parcel basis that, unlike the proposed bill, include environmental reviews and public comment to weigh the pros and cons.”

My fondest memories from growing up in Arizona are of the trips my family enjoyed to our national parks, monuments and forests. Like many Arizonans, I’m now sharing those same experiences with my kids as they spend their childhoods under the ponderosa pines in Tonto National Forest, scaling the red rocks in Sedona, marveling at the fossilized trees in the Petrified Forest or hiking through our state’s crown jewel, the Grand Canyon.

These wonders are the birthright of every American, kept in public trust by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service for the enjoyment of future generations.

That’s why I was surprised and disappointed a few weeks ago when some GOP legislators attempted to shoehorn a fire sale of public lands into President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” despite Interior Secretary Doug Burgum making clear that such a provision wasn’t part of the president’s agenda for this critical legislation.

It was perhaps a well-intentioned attempt to solve the scarcity of affordable homes, but the provision would have forced the federal government to sell 3.3 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land to the highest bidder. Not only would this forever remove these lands from our shared national heritage and potentially place them in the hands of foreign corporations, or even hostile countries like China, but their sale could also block access to other public lands used for recreation, hunting and fishing.

I agree that some federal land could be better managed by states, local governments or even private owners. But we already have ways to responsibly transfer land on a parcel-by-parcel basis that, unlike the proposed bill, include environmental reviews and public comment to weigh the pros and cons.

For example, Udall Park in Tucson was transferred from the BLM to the city. Buckeye is pursuing an application to lease 640 acres to expand its Skyline Regional Park. Congressman Eli Crane is working to transfer about 10 acres so local governments can expand community cemeteries. And in 2007, the BLM sold a 282-acre parcel that was redeveloped for residential and commercial purposes in Phoenix.

The federal government is also generous with usage rights, allowing leases for access to oil, gas, coal, timber and grazing, yet these lands remain publicly owned.

As the founder of a custom home-building company, I know firsthand the need for more affordable housing so that young families can achieve the American Dream of home ownership. But this proposed fire sale legislation is not the way to achieve that.

In my opinion, a far easier way to reduce housing costs would be a continuation of the change of pace immigration policy we’re seeing at the federal level. I believe illegal immigration drives up the cost of housing while suppressing the wages of our own citizens, harming their ability to afford a home.

Regulations and taxes also drive up the cost of housing. Thankfully, the Big Beautiful Bill reduces those burdens and makes permanent many tax cuts that bring down the cost of homes while putting more money into families’ pockets.

Following backlash from voters, conservation activists and Western senators, the provision was withdrawn because there weren’t enough safeguards to prevent the sale of federally managed land to hedge funds like BlackRock or foreign governments like China. Withdrawing this proposal was the right decision but the threat to our children’s national inheritance remains.

I urge our political leaders to heed the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, the father of America’s conservation movement, who said in a famous speech at the Grand Canyon: “Keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you.”

Editor’s note: East Valley native Daniel Keenan, founder of DK Builders, is a candidate for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. He lives in Gilbert. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.