10 American landscapes most threatened by drilling and mining: new report
Boundary Waters, Bears Ears among list of threatened public landscapes
Today, The Wilderness Society released its flagship report: “Not for Sale: The Fight for Public Lands.”
The report features 10 American landscapes currently threatened by oil and gas drilling and mining interests, and the unique perspectives from community members who are tirelessly working to protect these places.
The report is inspired by recent attacks coming from leaders in Washington D.C. who are making moves to sell out some of our most special lands to private industry.
In response to the report release, The Wilderness Society President, Tracy Stone-Manning said:
“From the caribou pathways of the Arctic to the interconnected system of lakes, streams and rivers of the Boundary Waters to the deserts of the Southwest, our treasured public lands are being handed over to corporate interests. From one generation to the next, Americans have defended the clean water, wildlife and freedom that public lands provide. This report shines a light on that fight and what we stand to lose if we back down. Public lands are our common ground — and they are not for sale.”
The report highlights public lands undergoing various attacks, from the radical use of the Congressional Review Act, to formal protections at risk of being rescinded by the administration, to threats to revoke mining and drilling bans in ecologically and culturally important lands.
Featured landscapes include the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, as well as America’s Arctic and the Northern Red Desert and Big Sandy Foothills, and more.
The report follows Colorado College’s recent release of the 2026 Conservation in the West Poll, which reaffirms: Western voters support keeping public lands protected.
For more information, contact edenny@tws.org
