April, in brief

Key news from April:

• The Trump administration pushed its anti-environment agenda under cover of the coronavirus pandemic. Analysis found that the Interior Department has taken at least 65 actions unrelated to coronavirus since March 6, despite requests from local elected officials and members of Congress to suspend rulemakings and calls to halt oil and gas leasing.

• The Interior department delayed national park closures, threatening public health. The delays came even after Interior tried to hide how many workers were infected; the National Park Service's chief epidemiologist warned that keeping parks open would create significant public health risks; and employees and federal, state, county, and local officials called on parks to close after visitors flocked to parks that remained open. Plans to reopen parks now spark concerns over continued public health risks.

• The coronavirus pandemic intersected with market forces, causing oil prices to plummet below zero for the first time and coal companies to flounder. Oil markets have hammered drilling operations all month, prompting warnings of widespread bankruptcies looming over the industry that already operates with a high amount of debt. As prices are poised to go negative again and more bankruptcies may be on the horizon, concerns are increasing around compliance and the risk of abandoned wells. At the same time, reports have found minimal enforcement by state and federal regulators.

• In response to the pandemic-assisted market collapse, resource extraction industries have worked to receive bailouts from the Trump administration. Earlier this month, oil executives met with Trump personally and lawmakers asked Interior to waive or reduce federal royalty payments for oil, gas, and coal. Although President Trump has said he opposes a blanket suspension of royalties, Secretary Bernhardt promised to swiftly reduce royalties for any company that asks for it. Additionally, a large coal company with ties to the Trump administration got $10 million from a loan program meant to help small businesses. Finally, the uranium industry asked for a federal bailout, which the recently released Nuclear Fuel Working Group report encouraged, including recommendations for expanding mining on public lands such as the Grand Canyon.

• COVID-19 is expected to strain this year's wildfire response across the West. Evacuation shelters and fire camps are notoriously close-quarters environments, leading to questions as to how to fight wildfires during a pandemic and while maintaining adequate social distancing. Colorado, Idaho, and other states are all working on response plans while scrapping some prescribed burns.

• Tribes have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, with high rates of infection and economies expected to take dramatic hits. Despite these challenges, the Trump administration attempted to divert tribal aid to oil companies with ties to political officials, but was stopped by the ruling of a federal judge. However, other tribal aid remains delayed, and border wall construction continues to affect tribes.

• The Bureau of Land Management prioritized drilling and mining over local communities. The BLM approved a controversial land management plan for Colorado that prioritizes drilling and mining, and refused county commissioner calls to postpone a Wyoming resource management plan. At the same time, the BLM's unbalanced oil and gas agenda threatens rural and hunting economies.

• This month marked the ten-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, the impacts of which continue today. The anniversary highlights the actions of the Trump administration to systematically weaken rules put in place in response to the disaster.

• Diverse conservation leadership has begun to highlight a road toward protecting at least 30 percent of American lands and waters by 2030. Indigenous community-led conservation efforts will be crucial, as are conservation partnerships. The COVID-19 crisis has also increased awareness of the need to save nature to protect public health.

What to watch for in May:

• The temporary Interior appointments of William Perry Pendley as acting director of the Bureau of Land Management and David Vela as acting director of the National Park Service expire on May 5th. President Trump has yet to nominate someone to serve permanently in either position.
• National parks remain closed around the country, but the Interior Department looks to reopen them even in the face of public health concerns. Plans remain uncertain and in flux.
• Congress is expected to consider additional stimulus packages, which could include bailouts for oil companies or funding for public lands maintenance and job creation.
• Oil and gas leasing and resource management planning is expected to roll forward next month despite calls from states, counties, and local communities to pause Interior actions, and despite plummeting oil prices.