The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed to revoke a Biden-era rule that sought to conserve more public lands as opposed to opening them up to mining, drilling or grazing.
Land owned by the federal government may be leased to private entities, including companies, for uses including energy and minerals. The 2024 rule in question would have similarly allowed tribes, states and conservation districts to lease lands, but for the purpose of preserving them rather than using them.
The Trump administration is proposing to rescind that rule, saying that it came at the expense of other uses of the land, including for energy development.
“The previous administration’s Public Lands Rule had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land — preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
But supporters of the rule argued that its rescission would harm conservation efforts.
“This rule provided for healthy habitats and now it’s foolishly being yanked away in service of the ‘Drill, baby, drill’ agenda,” said Vera Smith, national forests and public lands director at Defenders of Wildlife, in a written statement.
