Data Sources

• Federal Lands: USFS & BLM Surface Management Agency Polygons (BLM, 2023)
• Protected Areas: Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1, USGS, 2024)
• Urban Areas: Census Urban Areas (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020)
• State Boundaries: U.S. States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018)

Analysis Steps

1. Load BLM and USFS land polygons for the 11 contiguous western states.
2. Load all PAD-US polygons designated as GAP Status 1 or 2 (highest protection levels).
3. Spatially subtract the protected areas from the federal lands to create two datasets per state: "Eligible" land and "Ineligible" (protected) land.
4. Load U.S. Census Urban Area polygons.
5. Create proximity buffers around all urban areas: 2 miles for USFS land and 5 miles for BLM land.
6. Spatially clip all land categories (both eligible and ineligible) to their respective urban buffers. Only the portions of land falling inside these buffers are kept.
7. Display the final, clipped polygons on the map, styled by agency and eligibility status.

As of June 2025, Forest Service lands are no longer included in the proposed bill.

Housing prices are crushing families and keeping young Americans from living where they grew up. We need to change that.

Thanks to YOU—the AMERICAN PEOPLE—here’s what I plan to do:

1. REMOVE ALL Forest Service land. We are NOT selling off our forests.

2. SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE the amount of BLM land in the bill. Only land WITHIN 5 MILES of population centers is eligible.

3. Establish FREEDOM ZONES to ensure these lands benefit AMERICAN FAMILIES.

4. PROTECT our farmers, ranchers, and recreational users. They come first.

Yes, the Byrd Rule limits what can go in the reconciliation bill, but I’m doing everything I can to support President Trump and move this forward.

Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 23, 2025