|
The Trump administration is moving to strip Tribes of their veto power over energy projects on their lands, a policy shift that could reshape federal-tribal relations.
Grist reports that during the Biden administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted a rule requiring Tribal consent before approving hydropower projects. That policy blocked a pumped hydropower proposal on Navajo Nation land, where communities raised concerns about groundwater depletion and ecological harm.
Now, Energy Secretary Chris Wright argues that Tribal vetoes impose “unnecessary burdens” on infrastructure development and is pressing FERC to quickly reverse course. Wright invoked a rarely-used authority under the Federal Powers Act to instruct FERC to make a decision by December 18th. FERC allowed just two weeks for public comment on the proposal last month.
More than 20 Tribes, environmental groups, and lawmakers have urged the commission to maintain the current policy, citing Tribes’ centuries-long stewardship of natural resources. Critics caution that ending Tribal veto power could pave the way for a new generation of extractive projects, exacerbating a toxic legacy on Indigenous lands that remains today.
A historically bad year for public lands
In a new report, the Center for American Progress takes stock of the damage the Trump administration caused on public lands in 2025. CAP Senior Fellow Drew McConville writes that the administration set records for rolling back conservation protections on public lands, stripping safeguards from nearly 88 million acres—an area equal to 117 Yosemite National Parks—while slashing budgets and staff across agencies like the National Park Service. But these moves sparked fierce public backlash. More than 99 percent of commenters opposed rescinding forest protections under the Roadless Rule, and bipartisan opposition forced Congress to drop Sen. Mike Lee's proposal to sell off millions of acres of public land.
|
The only thing I’m optimistic about is that Indigenous people know that they need to continue to fight. I don’t see this administration waking up to their own mistakes at all.” 
