
Interior Department’s Internal Review of National Monuments and Protected Public Lands Is About Selling Off the Country’s Natural Resources Not Energy Dominance
Washington, D.C. — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has issued secretarial orders that set the stage for gutting protections of the country’s beloved and ecologically valuable natural landscapes. The orders mandate a 15-day internal review of national monuments and all lands withdrawn from fossil fuel and mining development.
Below is a statement from Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation, which represents a national network of community advocates who are solely focused on the National Conservation Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
“Conducting a slap dash, secret review of national monuments shows that this administration is scared of public scrutiny because they know how popular these public lands are. The majority of the country continues to show their love for public lands, including during the first Trump administration’s attempt to privatize the country’s sacred, historic and recreationally and culturally significant landscapes.
“These orders also willfully ignore the rural residents and communities whose personal and local incomes rely on these lands being protected from privatization. Outdoor recreation on BLM lands contributes more than $11 billion to the economy and substantial income to individuals, small and large businesses, and rural communities through hunting, fishing, camping, climbing, riding off-highway vehicles, and many other activities.
“With roughly 85% of BLM lands already available for energy production–and roughly half of existing oil and gas leases not being used–it's crystal clear that these recent orders targeting the 15% of public lands that are protected for the public’s use have nothing to do with the nation’s energy portfolio.
“There’s really no explanation other than this administration is trying to sneakily and greedily sell off the 15% of protected public lands to the wealthy and well-connected, thereby blocking access for everyone else. It’s an attack that flies in the face of America’s ideals and the Conservation Lands Foundation will be unrelenting in our fight on the side of the people–85% of voters in the west–who support keeping public lands in the public’s hands.”
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Conservation Lands Foundation published this page in Latest News 2025-02-04 15:09:27 -0700