“Energy dominance” casts a dark shadow over public lands

It’s been just over a year since the new administration issued an onslaught of reckless executive orders that used the pretense of a national “energy emergency” to open the doors wide for unrestrained drilling on public lands. The administration’s Congressional allies quickly followed suit, passing a budget reconciliation bill in the summer of 2025 that made it even cheaper and easier for giant corporations to exploit public lands while shortchanging taxpayers—all at the expense of clean water and air, outdoor access and wildlife.

As we enter the second year of this term, the administration and its allies are showing no signs of slowing their fossil fuel frenzy. Here’s a quick rundown of the damage toll to date and the attacks expected to come:

• The reconciliation bill forced the government to lease even more land to oil giants by mandating quarterly lease sales in Western states—regardless of industry interest and yield potential. The bill effectively made it possible for corporations to point at any parcel of land, pay next to nothing and attain a lease in as little as three months.
• Congress has recklessly wielded a little-known legislative tool called the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to wipe-out management plans and agency decisions that conservatively manage natural resources—including a leasing plan for the Arctic Refuge with maximum protections for the landscape and a mineral withdrawal for the Boundary Waters.
• The administration is expected to roll back the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oil and Gas Leasing Rule, which made long overdue reforms to leasing practices on public lands—specifically by requiring corporations to clean-up their own messes and steering leasing away from particularly sensitive wildlife habitat.

Public lands provide clean air and water, protect wildlife habitat and ensure future generations enjoy our same freedom to enjoy the outdoors. None of this administration’s agenda reflects what Americans want for their public lands. A Colorado College poll recently found that 70% of Western voters oppose fast-tracking oil, gas and mining projects on public lands, while 84% believe that these protection rollbacks are a serious issue. It’s clear to see that this agenda is not about addressing American energy needs at all but is instead about lining the pockets of corporate donors while the rest of us—and nature—bear the costs.