"DOI will work with HUD to identify lands to offload for the development of affordable homes"

[Poser]

Response I received:
May 19, 2025

Dear Mr. Poser,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding selling public lands. We always appreciate hearing from Coloradans, as it helps us better represent our great state in the United States Senate.
Congressional Republicans have included language in their budget reconciliation bill that allows for the sell-off of more than 500,000 acres of public lands. They see this as a way to help pay for their massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. I see it differently.

In Colorado, public lands power a $17 billion dollar outdoor recreation economy which employs more than 132,000 Coloradans. Coloradans know our forests, national parks, and public lands are our pride and joy. These treasures are not—and should not be—for sale. That is why I introduced an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution to prevent it. I will continue to fight against legislation that would allow public lands to be sold off to the highest bidder.

We always value hearing directly from Coloradans and hope you will continue to share your thoughts as we work together for Colorado and our country. For more information about our priorities, please visit our website at www.hickenlooper.senate.gov. Again, thank you for reaching out.


Sincerely,

John Hickenlooper
United States Senator

 

[elkhunter505]

Here’s what OnX says their GIS analysis finds as parcels that are up for sale. Link here. I’ve worked in Northern Nevada for a while and unless there’s been a wild change in the landscape since I left in 2018, that country is not affordable housing. Much of it is in the Paradise Valley where very few people live and mostly manage small ranches.

Edit: a lot of the area is checkerboard but I just wanted to get a screenshot of the entire area. This perspective does make it look worse than it truly is.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Hopefully not all of that will actually end up on the chopping block. There's a whole lot of this stuff which probably is a good target. In fact if you zoom in just one level past where your zoom was you'll see that's most of it is a bunch of checkerboard. I'm not advocating getting rid of it all just pointing it out.

 

[elkhunter505]

Hopefully not all of that will actually end up on the chopping block. There's a whole lot of this stuff which probably is a good target. In fact if you zoom in just one level past where your zoom was you'll see that's most of it is a bunch of checkerboard. I'm not advocating getting rid of it all just pointing it out.

Agreed, I saw a lot of the checkerboard, that was just the best screenshot of all the area I could get. I think corner crossing is coming down the pipe for all of us (hopefully) so seems like they’d be getting out in front of it by just removing it from the public land. A lot of the land up in the paradise valley and in the black rock is absolutely used a ton and the black rock itself has 0 settlements anywhere near it so the farce of affordable housing is in the open now.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

This is an example of the junk we can probably get rid of without much loss, in Vegas suburbs. Sell it to the state/Vegas and let them decide what to do with it.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Agreed, I saw a lot of the checkerboard, that was just the best screenshot of all the area I could get. I think corner crossing is coming down the pipe for all of us (hopefully) so seems like they’d be getting out in front of it by just removing it from the public land. A lot of the land up in the paradise valley and in the black rock is absolutely used a ton and the black rock itself has 0 settlements anywhere near it so the farce of affordable housing is in the open now.

So I think this whole subject probably boils down to whether you trust various administrations and local authorities to properly weed through what's not so bad and what's terrible. Hopefully anybody making these decisions will be careful and not sell off things of value to the public.

 

[elkhunter505]

Yeah the internal stuff somewhat makes sense but the larger parcel on the southern end seems like something I would be opposed to but I have never been there so I can’t quantify how much recreation is done there.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Yeah the internal stuff somewhat makes sense but the larger parcel on the southern end seems like something I would be opposed to but I have never been there so I can’t quantify how much recreation is done there.

Agree, large parcels even if they're close to cities are probably worth keeping. I suppose we could argue whether the feds or state should keep it but it should probably be kept.

 

[Wheels]

Hopefully not all of that will actually end up on the chopping block. There's a whole lot of this stuff which probably is a good target. In fact if you zoom in just one level past where your zoom was you'll see that's most of it is a bunch of checkerboard. I'm not advocating getting rid of it all just pointing it out.

It’s interesting if you look at land ownership in those checkerboard areas, lots of out of state financial institutions and a bunch of the square miles are split up into smaller parcels. There looks to be literally nothing out there but it’s almost like this was in the works for new development or mineral rights.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Overcrowding isn’t gonna get any better.

this seems to be largely ignored by a lot of people but in 2030, 1/5 Americans will be over 65 years old. We have a massive population decline coming. There is really no housing shortage… especially if we upped the deportation rate. There will be a giant glut of homes with no one to buy them in about 15 years. Now does everyone get to live exactly where they want to live, no that’s stupid. Putting millions of homes which will likely be empty or not needed in 20 years is dumb, too many people moving to water limited areas is super stupid ( Vegas and Phoenix and most the mountain west im looking at you…)

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Well there we go..

 

[grainhog]

Well there we go..

So does this mean it's all indeed just fear mongering (I would say "was", but of course this isn't the last time we'll encounter land transfer legislation)? Or that communicating to legislators can work? Both? Neither? Something else? Buehler?

 

[HairyScandinavian]

So does this mean it's all indeed just fear mongering (I would say "was", but of course this isn't the last time we'll encounter land transfer legislation)? Or that communicating to legislators can work? Both? Neither? Something else? Buehler?

Probably was never gonna happen, so yes. If it happened wasn't gonna be anywhere near as bad as people were screaming about. I'm actually annoyed we didn't get rid of all that checkerboard urban chunked area. Maybe they can trade it.

 

[grainhog]

Probably was never gonna happen, so yes. If it happened wasn't gonna be anywhere near as bad as people were screaming about. I'm actually annoyed we didn't get rid of all that checkerboard urban chunked area. Maybe they can trade it.

Probably, probably. Gotcha.

In any case, land swaps can indeed work to net positive effect in some cases.

 

[sasquatch]

Probably was never gonna happen, so yes. If it happened wasn't gonna be anywhere near as bad as people were screaming about. I'm actually annoyed we didn't get rid of all that checkerboard urban chunked area. Maybe they can trade it.

Annoyed you didn’t lose any public land for something that wouldn’t have benefited you? Thats new.

Nobody knows how bad it would or wouldn’t have been, but last I checked a little bit bad, vs a lot of bad, still equals a net of bad


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[sasquatch]

this seems to be largely ignored by a lot of people but in 2030, 1/5 Americans will be over 65 years old. We have a massive population decline coming. There is really no housing shortage… especially if we upped the deportation rate. There will be a giant glut of homes with no one to buy them in about 15 years. Now does everyone get to live exactly where they want to live, no that’s stupid. Putting millions of homes which will likely be empty or not needed in 20 years is dumb, too many people moving to water limited areas is super stupid ( Vegas and Phoenix and most the mountain west im looking at you…)

They don’t care or think ahead. It’s all about money in our hands NOW

if they thought ahead social security would be made up of more than IOUs


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[IdahoBeav]

They don’t care or think ahead. It’s all about money in our hands NOW

if they thought ahead social security would be made up of more than IOUs


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If 90 years ago they had thought ahead, social security never would have existed.

 

[sasquatch]

If 90 years ago they had thought ahead, social security never would have existed.

Even better. Damn I wish they could think

Wed all be more mature and responsible with our money today if there was no system ever put in place to eliminate self responsibility


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[HairyScandinavian]

Annoyed you didn’t lose any public land for something that wouldn’t have benefited you? Thats new.

Nobody knows how bad it would or wouldn’t have been, but last I checked a little bit bad, vs a lot of bad, still equals a net of bad


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That junk doesn't benefit anybody but even if it did it's only the locals so the locals should own it and do with it what they want. Fear of the unknown doesn't justify just keeping things are the way they are without improving, that's the definition of not thinking ahead. All that checkerboard urban junk should be in the hands of the city/state, it's just an unnecessary drain on the Feds.

 

[sasquatch]

That junk doesn't benefit anybody but the locals so the locals should own it. Fear of the unknown doesn't justify just keeping things are the way they are without improving, that's the definition of not thinking ahead. All that checkerboard urban junk should be in the hands of the city/state, it's just an unnecessary drain on the Feds.

So add it to unnecessary drain on the state?

And if it’s sold how would the “locals” own it they are now benefiting from it?

The Feds (whole populous) acquired it, they now keep it or decide together what to do with it.

Nothing would be improved if this sold, would never be measurable unless you want to measure concrete tonnage


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