The Trump administration has put forward a proposal to repeal one of the most iconic environmental measures of Joe Biden's term: the rule that, since April 2024, has placed conservation on an equal footing with the economic exploitation of public lands.
According to The New York Times, the initiative came from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency that manages more than a million square kilometers of public land, nearly one-tenth of the North American territory, and which has been the scene of historic disputes between environmental and industrial interests. Known as"the nation's largest landlord," the BLM has for decades granted leases for oil exploration, coal mining, forestry, and grazing, activities that have contributed to habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss.
Biden's rule, known as the"Public Lands Rule," allowed the BLM to lease degraded lands to organizations interested in restoring ecosystems or compensating for environmental damage. It was the first time since the agency's creation in 1946 that conservation was given equal weight to economic activities. Biden had also promoted these lands for recreational and renewable energy purposes, unlike the new proposal, which prioritizes fossil fuels and mining.
Several Republican-led states and industry associations challenged the measure in court, accusing the White House of"land grabbing." Now, the proposed repeal aims to restore priority to economic activities. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argued that the previous rule"had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multi-use land," impeding energy production, logging, and even recreational activities."Repealing this rule protects our American way of life and gives a voice to the communities that depend on these lands," Burgum added, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Industry associations applauded the decision. Rich Nolan, president of the National Mining Association, argued that the administration illegally “put conservation above all else” and that the repeal “restores balance to federal land use, ensuring that available resources can meet growing energy needs and feed critical supply chains.”
On the other side, conservation organizations accuse the administration of caving to the interests of the extractive industry. Jennifer Rokala, director of the Center for Western Priorities, stated that the repeal"again unbalances public land management, returning it to the 19th century, when barons monopolized resources for their own benefit." Rokala also noted that hunters, fishermen, and hikers had praised the Biden rule for ensuring access to public lands for future generations.
The repeal is part of a broader line of Donald Trump's energy policy, centered on the slogan"drill, baby, drill" and the expansion of domestic fossil fuel production. During his speech at the Gastech conference in Milan, Burgum went further, declaring that"what will save the planet is winning the artificial intelligence race," adding that to achieve this, the US needs more energy"now."
Although a 60-day public consultation process is still pending, several analysts emphasize that the political intention is clear: to prioritize economic exploitation over environmental protection.
Meanwhile, Trump faces a leadership vacuum within the BLM itself. In February, he had nominated Kathleen Sgamma, then president of the Western Energy Alliance, to lead the organization. But the appointment collapsed weeks later when a letter in which Sgamma criticized the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was made public. The nomination was withdrawn at the administration's request, and to date, no successor has been designated.
