Sign the petition to prevent mining in our wildlands and national monuments.
Roughly 85% of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) across the nation are already available for energy production; in Wyoming, roughly 90% are available. Why is this administration hell-bent on stealing and selling off the 15% that’s set aside for the public’s access?
With roughly half of existing oil and gas leases not being used, there’s really no explanation other than this administration is trying to sneakily and greedily sell off the 15% of protected public lands to billionaire friends and corporate polluters, blocking access for everyone else.
Trump’s first-day Executive Orders Declaring a National Energy Emergency, Unleashing American Energy, and Burgmun’s Secretarial Order SO 3418: Unleashing American Energy set the stage for gutting protections of our country’s beloved and ecologically valuable natural landscapes, including wild lands across Wyoming’s Red Desert, Devil’s Tower, and more.
What’s at stake under SO 3418’s 15-day internal review?
Mining in all national monuments including Devil’s Tower
The supermajority of Westerners love and support national monuments - 84 percent of Westerners support presidential authority to designate national monuments in order to guarantee public access and protect the land, water and wildlife for future generations.
Removal of protected status from all lands withdrawn from fossil fuel and mining development, including Wyoming WSAs and other wildlands
The Public Lands Rule, which for the first time has formally acknowledged conservation of BLM lands as an equal and equally important use of BLM lands.
The recently finalized Rock Springs RMP that solidified important protections for Red Desert wildlands, along with other land use plans such as those providing protection for Wyoming’s greater sage-grouse.
This review has been conducted behind closed doors; the deadline has passed and neither the public nor Congress have seen the review and subsequent action plan.
Take a look at these threats across Wyoming, and the nation.
Secretarial Order SO 3418 is not the only attempt to degrade or sell off our public wildlands. Other looming threats we’re tracking and fighting:
The WEST Act, an attempt by Senators Barrasso and Lummis to nullify the Public Lands Rule.
The Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act, which stands to gutting the longstanding Antiquities Act.
Congress passed the Antiquities Act in 1906, and since then, 18 presidents - nine Democratic and nine Republican - have established or expanded national monuments for the benefit of the American people. Many of these monuments later became beloved national parks including the Grand Canyon, Olympic, Zion, Acadia, and Grand Teton.
A bill from Montana’s Senator Daines demanding agencies prioritize extraction over other uses on public lands
How you can help
Sign the petition to prevent mining in our wildlands and national monuments.
Celebrating our wildland champions
Public Lands in Public Hands Act:
In a rare turn of events, Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, who formerly served as Secretary of the Interior Under the first Trump Administration’s “drill baby, drill” agenda, has proposed the Public Lands in Public Hands Act. This legislation stands to ban the sale or transfer of most public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest service except under specific conditions and where required under previous laws.
Read the full press release here.
Senators speak out against secret public land deals:
“Heinrich, Huffman Demand Transparency on Trump Administration’s Plan to Roll Back Protections for Americans’ Public Lands After Interior Fails to Disclose it to the Public, Despite Key Deadline. Ranking Members of House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over Department of Interior express concern that Administration is rolling back Americans’ public lands in secret one week after Department’s deadline to submit an “action plan” for implementing President Trump’s energy and public land.” Check out the full letter demanding transparency on the Trump Administration’s Plans for our Public Lands.
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