(The Hill) — On Wednesday, the Trump administration put forward a plan to revoke a regulation from the Biden era that aimed to protect more of the nation’s public lands rather than opening them up for activities like mining, drilling, or grazing.
Federally owned lands can be leased to private parties, including businesses, for activities such as energy production and mineral extraction. The rule set for 2024 would have allowed tribes, states, and conservation groups to lease these lands to focus on conservation rather than exploitation.
The Trump administration now aims to overturn this rule, arguing that it limits other uses of the land, such as energy development opportunities.
“The prior administration’s Public Lands Rule could have restricted access to hundreds of thousands of acres meant for multiple uses — hindering energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing, and recreation in the Western regions,” highlighted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
But supporters of the rule argued that its rescission would harm conservation efforts.
“This regulation ensured healthy ecosystems, and now it’s being recklessly removed in favor of the ‘Drill, baby, drill’ approach,” commented Vera Smith, who oversees national forests and public lands at Defenders of Wildlife, in a written statement.
