This week, we break down the whirlwind of public lands policy battles happening in Congress and at the Department of the Interior.
But it’s not all grim. We also share a couple glimmers of good news, including a federal court decision slowing mass staff layoffs in national parks and a creative billboard campaign calling out those responsible for the growing park service crisis.
What's covered:
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and what it means for public lands, clean energy, and climate policy
Their plan to sell 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada
Fast-tracking oil, gas, and uranium projects under the guise of a “national energy emergency”
Rollbacks on solar and wind development rules on BLM-managed lands
- A federal court’s pause on agency staff layoffs
- States sue Trump administration for "illegal" energy emergency
- A billboard campaign exposing the consequences of public lands funding cuts
Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9)
Episode sources:
Full One Big Beautiful Bill Act Text (https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/doc/one_big_beautiful_bill_act_-_full_bill_text.pdf)
Outdoor Alliance: Midnight Land Sales in Reconciliation Megabill (https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/5/12/midnight-land-sales-in-reconciliation-megabill)
BLM New Mexico Oil & Gas Lease Sale Public Comment - comments open through June 11, 2025 (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-seeks-initial-input-january-2026-sale-oil-and-gas-lease-new-mexico-and-oklahoma)
More Perfect Union Billboard Campaign Locations (https://www.instagram.com/p/DJmjI1dRniQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
NY Times Coverage of Federal Layoffs Court Ruling (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/us/politics/federal-layoffs-trump-ruling.html)
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