Donald Trump will attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library on Wednesday, an event critics say highlights the stark contrast between Roosevelt's conservation legacy and Trump's environmental rollbacks.
Theodore Roosevelt, who served as president from 1901 to 1909, established five new national parks, protected vast swaths of land, and signed legislation allowing presidents to designate national monuments. By contrast, the Trump administration has removed protections from more than 86 million acres of public lands, according to an analysis by the Center for American Progress (CAP). This area is larger than 70 Grand Canyons or 38 Yellowstone National Parks.
Conservation vs. Rollbacks
Roosevelt conserved nearly 230 million acres of public lands. However, when combined with actions from his first term, Trump has moved to lift protections from over 100 million acres, CAP calculated. The removed safeguards open untouched forests to development, expose Alaskan habitats to oil drilling, and risk contaminating unique areas like Minnesota's Boundary Waters.
“Roosevelt believed that preserving America’s natural heritage and outdoors birthright was a sacred obligation,” said Jayson O’Neill, spokesperson for Save Our Parks. “Doug Burgum is destroying that heritage for Trump’s whims, allies and political donors.”
Interior Department Actions
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has rolled back safeguards under the Endangered Species Act, protections for migratory birds, and safeguards for federal waters. The Guardian has contacted the Interior Department and White House for comment.
“As millions of Americans celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary this summer by visiting national parks, forests, and monuments, the country’s rich conservation legacy is being erased,” said Sam Zeno, senior policy analyst for Conservation Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “Despite overwhelming public support for conserving the nation’s shared resources, President Trump is putting these lands and waters at risk.”
Library Opening Amid Controversy
Trump's July 1 event at the Roosevelt library in Medora, North Dakota, is part of his Freedom 250 tour, which has drawn criticism over corporate sponsorships. One mile away, Theodore Roosevelt National Park faces staffing cuts due to Trump administration rollbacks.
“No photo op will change the damage Trump and Burgum are doing to the wildlife, lands, and parks Roosevelt fought to protect for all Americans,” said O’Neill.
