November, in brief

Key news from November:

• The government shutdown ended, but the nightmare facing public lands has only just begun. While thousands of public land managers were furloughed during the shutdown, oil and gas drilling permits continued to be issued. During the shutdown, the administration approved about 700 new permits to drill on public lands, and the overall pace of approvals rose to the highest level since May. Also during the shutdown, a fire burned hundreds of Joshua trees and a vandal graffitied Arches National Park. Parks will now try to build back, though many worry that the shutdown's impacts offer a preview of President Donald Trump's long-term vision for public lands.
   
• President Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Representative Steve Pearce of New Mexico to run the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that oversees 245 million acres of national public lands. As a congressman, Pearce amassed a lengthy anti-public lands record, co-sponsoring numerous bills that would have undermined the Antiquities Act and made it easier to sell off national public lands, earning him the nickname “Sell-off Steve.” In a Westwise blog post, Creative Content and Policy Manager Lilly Bock-Brownstein describes how Pearce's nomination is a threat to the very existence of public lands.
   
• The Trump administration is considering revoking a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling on federal land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. President Joe Biden issued an order banning new oil and gas development within 10 miles of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. Most recently, members of the New Mexico congressional delegation and Pueblo leaders held a press conference to urge Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park and continue protecting it from oil and gas drilling.
   
• A new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities found that 98 percent of public comments oppose the proposed recision of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly known as the Public Lands Rule. Finalized in 2024, the rule put conservation, ecosystem restoration, and public access on equal footing with extractive uses like mining, drilling, and grazing, following through on the principle of “multiple use” as intended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. “Westerners have once again spoken with one voice in support of our public lands,” said CWP's Deputy Director Aaron Weiss.
   
• The Trump administration has proposed four new rules designed to significantly limit protections under the Endangered Species Act, reversing some regulations set during the Biden administration. The rules aim to clear the way for increased oil drilling, logging, and mining in critical habitats. One of the most contentious changes would allow the government to assess economic factors, such as lost revenue from development bans, before deciding whether to list a species. This directly conflicts with the ESA, which requires listing decisions to be based solely on the best available science. The proposals would also make it harder to protect species from future threats, like climate change, and replace the "4(d) rule," which gives threatened species the same level of protection as those designated as endangered.

What to watch for in December:

• Now that the November 11 deadline has passed, will Colorado River Basin states reach an agreement before the federal government takes over the negotiations?
• Will BLM director nominee Steve Pearce get a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee?
• Will Doug Burgum try to fire more public servants and land managers before the holidays?

In this episode of The Landscape, Aaron and Kate discuss the Trump administration’s plan to roll back oil and gas bonding rates designed to protect American taxpayers from the cleanup costs of abandoned wells. The episode features insights from David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship. His group recently released a report finding the Trump’s roll back could saddle taxpayers with over $750 billion in potential financial liabilities.

Hosts Aaron Weiss and Kate Groetzinger speak with Land Desk author and public lands expert Jonathan Thompson about whether the current uranium hype signifies a boom or a bubble. We explore the history of uranium production, the complications of mining on public lands, and the environmental and economic implications of revival efforts. Additionally, we discuss recently fast-tracked mining permits under the Trump administration and the future of small modular reactors as potential power sources.

Minnesota nears deal to sell 80,000 acres of Boundary Waters land to Forest Service

Minnesota Star Tribune
 

They retired from the government. Now they’re back, protecting forests Trump abandoned

Washington Post
 

Column: Congress is about to create legal chaos on public lands

Wes Siler's Newsletter
 

Inside Tribes’ never-ending battle to protect subsistence fishing in Alaska

Native American Rights Fund
 

Trump's pick to manage BLM notoriously hellbent on selling public lands

SFGate
 

Report: Trump cuts to national parks are unpopular

National Parks Conservation Association | National Parks Traveler | E&E News
 

Americans overwhelmingly oppose repeal of Public Lands Rule

E&E News | Colorado Newsline | Center for Western Priorities [analysis]
 

Opinion: What happens to our parks when rangers disappear?

Writers on the Range
 

Vandals left graffiti near an iconic landmark in Arches National Park

Outside | Axios
 

Trump cuts have hindered key wildfire prevention efforts

Washington Post

“[Steve] Pearce’s entire political career has been dedicated to blocking Americans’ access to public lands while giving the oil and gas industry free rein to drill and frack anywhere they wanted.”

—Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala, SFGate