The Interior Department is canceling a rule that placed conservation on equal footing with development on public lands, as President Donald Trump's administration eases restrictions on industries and seeks to boost drilling, logging, mining, and grazing on taxpayer-owned land.
Background of the Repealed Rule
The 2024 rule, adopted under former President Joe Biden, aimed to refocus the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees about 10% of land in the U.S. It allowed public property to be leased for restoration in the same way oil companies lease land for drilling. Supporters argued that conservation had long been a secondary consideration at the BLM, neglecting its mission under the 1976 Federal Lands Policy Management Act. While the bureau previously issued leases for conservation purposes in limited cases, it never had a dedicated program prior to the Biden administration.
Interior Secretary's Concerns
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the rule could have blocked access to hundreds of thousands of acres of land, preventing energy and timber production and harming ranchers who graze on public lands. Industry groups and their Republican allies in Congress strongly opposed the rule, arguing that it violated the "multiple use" mandate for Interior Department lands by elevating the "non-use" of federal lands through restoration leases.
Impact on Western States
The federal government's vast land holdings are concentrated in Western states including Alaska, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Since taking office, Trump has pursued actions to boost fossil fuel production from those taxpayer-owned sites. The administration also has sought to sideline some renewable energy projects, claiming they were unfairly subsidized under Biden.
Official Repeal Process
The official repeal of the rule was scheduled to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register, with documents detailing the action released in advance. This follows recent cancellations by Republicans in Congress of land management plans adopted in the closing days of Biden's administration that restricted development in large areas of Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota.
In addition to its surface land holdings, the BLM regulates publicly owned underground mineral reserves—such as coal for power plants and lithium for renewable energy—across more than 1 million square miles (2.5 million square kilometers). The bureau has a history of industry-friendly policies and has sold grazing permits and oil and gas leases for over a century.
