Administration and Lawmakers are Pushing to Undermine Key Protections for Public Lands

As polling shows Americans are increasingly alarmed by the relentless attacks on public lands and their caretakers, a new report shows the vast majority of public lands are open to oil and gas development, even as the current administration undermines both the agencies tasked with stewarding these lands and the policies that ensure their proper management.

A primary target of these recent attacks is the Public Lands Rule (PLR), which took effect in June 2024. The PLR oversees the management of 245 million acres of public land across the United States, establishing a balanced approach to land use that properly considers conservation, wildlife protection, climate change mitigation, cultural resource preservation, and public access—alongside responsible energy extraction.

Despite widespread public support for the PLR, some lawmakers and industry-backed groups have falsely claimed that it hampers oil and gas development, citing an invented “energy crisis” as justification. These claims have been thoroughly debunked. Earlier today, The Wilderness Society’s new report revealed that, despite fear mongering around the Public Lands Rule, more than 81 percent of public lands remain open to oil and gas leasing. In fact, the oil and gas industry currently holds leases to more than 25 million acres, half of which sits unused. This finding highlights that critics, who allege that the Rule stifles energy production, are mistaken.

Nevertheless, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has targeted the PLR for rescission in recent Secretarial Order 3418, “Unleashing American Energy.” At the same time, politicians supporting the privatization and sell-off of public lands are backing the newly introduced WEST Act—legislation aimed at eliminating the Public Lands Rule entirely. These coordinated and consistent attacks reflect a dangerous political agenda that seeks to dismantle the progress made in preserving our access to healthy public lands, ignoring the overwhelming public desire for balanced, sustainable land management.

“The real crisis we need to focus on is the tragic number of plants and animals currently facing extinction as a result of corporate overdevelopment. The Public Lands Rule protects federal lands and wildlife from exploitation and makes sure that nature is considered alongside energy and other uses in decision-making,” said Robert Dewey, Vice President, Government Relations at Defenders of Wildlife. “The reckless attacks against the PLR by the Trump administration and Congressional lawmakers are solely for the profit of the fossil fuel industry and go against overwhelming public support for sustainable public lands and wildlife protections.”

###