5,235 Acres Of Oregon Public Land Up For Grabs In BLM’s July Geothermal Auction

The federal government’s grip on Oregon territory is loosening. The Bureau of Land Management just announced plans to auction off 5,235.33 acres in Oregon for geothermal development. Mark your calendars for July 10, 2025, when these parcels hit the virtual auction block via the EnergyNet platform. No showing up in person—this is strictly an online affair. The BLM’s Washington/Oregon State Office will be conducting the sale, which includes two parcels of public land.

This auction is just a drop in the bucket compared to what might be coming. A Senate budget bill is floating the idea of selling off up to 3.2 million acres of public territory across western states, Oregon included. They’re calling it necessary to fund tax cuts. Because apparently, selling off natural resources is the only way to balance a checkbook these days.

Most Oregonians aren’t buying it. A whopping 76% oppose public territory sales to fund tax cuts. Even Oregon’s lone Republican in Congress, Cliff Bentz, stands against the idea. Turns out, people actually like their public territories. Shocking.

Public land sales for tax cuts? Not in Oregon, where three-quarters of residents say hands off our wilderness.

The geothermal auction follows a similar BLM sale in Utah that generated $5.6 million from 14 parcels. Not bad cash, but critics worry about the bigger picture. The proposed legislation doesn’t include requirements for affordable housing—meaning those pristine Oregon terrains could become playgrounds for the wealthy. Luxury estates, anyone?

Environmental groups are raising red flags about wildlife habitats and ecological integrity. The sales would target territories within five miles of population centers, potentially including fire-prone areas near national forests. Because nothing says “smart development” like building in wildfire zones. Headwaters Economics analysis shows expanding development into these fire-prone areas significantly increases risk to communities.

The BLM will post auction results on their website after the July sale. Meanwhile, the battle over western public territories continues. Less than 1% of federally owned land would be affected by the proposed legislation, but that’s still an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

For now, potential bidders are eyeing those 5,235 acres. The rest of Oregon watches, waits, and wonders what’s next for their beloved public territories.