Environmentalists are up in arms over a proposal in the House of Representatives that could spur the biggest sell-off of public lands – including territory in national parks and wildlife refuges – in modern American history. The goal? To help pay down the national deficit.

Richard Pombo, Chairman of the House Resources Committee who is widely considered an advocate of the extractive industries, slipped a mining provision into the current budget bill that would allow private companies to buy federal lands at rock-bottom rates—without paying for the cost of the minerals that lie beneath the surface.

Real estate developers, oil prospectors, and international companies would also benefit: Loopholes in the provision would allow any buyer to use the lands they purchase for any commercial purpose – not just to mine gold, silver, and other valuable minerals. The Environmental Working Group recently released “Dirt Cheap,” a study showing the potential impact to U.S. public lands state by state.

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