Trump vs. public lands

Western Priorities - The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Deputy Director Aaron Weiss:

“The White House budget is missing key details, but even in broad strokes it paints a bleak picture for America's parks, wildlife, and everyone who hunts, fishes, hikes, or simply enjoys the outdoors. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has already fired or forced out 13,000 employees. How many more does he plan to push out the door? This document doesn’t say. National parks are already short-staffed heading into summer. 2026 is shaping up to be one of the driest and most dangerous years for Western communities. This budget tells the people who do that work and live in the West that things are only going to get worse.

“Days after convening the ‘God Squad’ to greenlight the extinction of an entire species of whale, the White House is now proposing to strip NOAA of its role protecting ocean wildlife and hand that authority entirely to an Interior department that has shown it’s in the business of ending species, not saving them. Meanwhile, the administration is targeting programs it clearly does not understand. Covering up irrigation canals with solar panels is not ‘woke.’ It’s one of the best tools to limit evaporation, delivering more water and power to Western farmers. Cutting them does not save money. It wastes water, even as Lake Powell heads toward deadpool.”

Key concerns:

• Kneecapping the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Restricting LWCF to easements and blocking new public land acquisition ignores Congress and the American people. Voters in red and blue states alike have consistently backed LWCF because it is the single best tool for increasing access to public lands, especially for hunters and anglers.
• Presidential slush fund. President Trump wants a $10 billion “beautification” fund to build his vanity projects around Washington, DC, presumably including projects he previously claimed would be paid for with private donations, including the White House ballroom, Trump Arch, and statue garden.
• Eliminating science. Zeroing out the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area and climate research across every Interior bureau removes the scientific foundation these agencies need to manage land, water, and wildlife. You cannot manage what you refuse to measure.
• Killing renewable energy on public lands. Eliminating $45 million in renewable energy programs, including all offshore wind work, while fast-tracking oil and gas permitting makes it clear this administration sees public lands as an extraction zone, not a resource to steward for future generations. At a moment when oil prices are spiking and American families are watching their utility bills climb, pulling the plug on every source of electricity that doesn’t come from burning fossil fuels is a blueprint for higher energy costs.
• Dismantling the Forest Service. Trying to build a new unified wildfire service while also reorganizing the Forest Service is like trying to give your car a tire rotation at highway speeds. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. It mirrors the BLM headquarters relocation from the first Trump term: use “reorganizations” to break agencies from the inside.