Public Lands in Danger Throughout the United States

Five Hundred Million Acres of Public Lands at Risk 

Last month we were alerted to the dangers to old-growth forests from logging interests eyeing our national forests. That danger has grown with a hiring freeze at the National Forest Service and DOGE cuts sure to come. The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees our national forests...does that give you a clearer idea of how these irreplaceable forest lands are viewed? Learn more about the threat in my blog post here, 

Now, we turn to the other public lands, our national parks, monuments, and wildernesses, as well as national trails, seashores, wild and scenic areas, battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, etc. There are also wildlife refuges in every state and conservation areas. Millions of acres, all managed by the Department of the Interior. Now, North Dakota, along with 11 other states, is suing the federal government to turn over these public lands to the states so they can be sold off for development by oil and gas companies. 

And who is proposed to replace Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary? None other than the governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum. The New York Times reported that, "in April, Governor Burgum helped gather oil and gas executives at Mar-a-Lago for a now-infamous dinner, during which Mr. Trump suggested that they raise $1 billion for his campaign. Mr. Trump told the executives they would save far more than that in tax breaks and legal fees after he repealed Mr. Biden’s climate agenda."  

The fate of these 500-million-some acres of land becomes more dire by the day. Even in states that value and protect their wild lands like my Colorado, threats are growing. The president has been known to hold up emergency and disaster aid to states he does not favor and pockets the pen he uses to declare a national emergency. I have reported on some statewide actions being taken to try to Trump-proof our public lands and will continue to do so. For more information, read this interview with University of Colorado Denver Professor Deserai Anderson Crow in yesterday's Colorado Sun. 


 



 

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