Interior puts wilderness study areas under scrutiny as “war on wildlands” widens
Centennial Mountains Wilderness Study Area, MT
Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management
Review likely fits into ongoing efforts that have targeted roadless forests, recommended wilderness
WASHINGTON D.C. (June 11, 2026) — The Department of the Interior launched an effort to explore whether policies on wilderness study areas and lands with wilderness characteristics should be “updated, clarified or revised,” a step that could hold troubling implications for wildlands nationwide. A 60-day public comment period will kick off soon.
The parameters of Interior’s unexpected review, part of a larger announcement on rock-climbing guidance, are unclear. But there is reason to believe the “potential improvements” they seek will represent another blow to America’s wildlands (an umbrella term sometimes used for public lands that are mostly untouched by development, including wilderness areas and inventoried roadless areas). The administration is already in the process of rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and according to recent reporting from The New York Times, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to release a secretarial memorandum that would open the door for destructive development in more than 5 million acres of recommended wilderness areas.
Abby Tinsley, senior vice president of conservation programs at The Wilderness Society, made the following statement about this news:
“Americans love our wild public lands, both for the wildlife habitat these places safeguard, and the freedom they provide us to hike, camp and otherwise enjoy the outdoors. Over the last 16 months, the administration has waged a war on wildlands that targets these places, and we have every reason to believe that this review is part of it. Their goal is to make it easier to push reckless development, drilling, mining and unchecked motorized activity on the tiny sliver of our wildest public lands that remains, including wilderness and wilderness study areas.
If Secretary Burgum truly wants to prioritize outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations, the administration should reverse the many steps they’ve taken to reduce staffing and funding and otherwise impair agency capacity to ensure people can responsibly enjoy outdoor places.”
Contact: newsmedia@tws.org / max_greenberg@tws.org
