DeGette, Huffman Statement on Trump Administration’s Reversal of Biden-era Public Lands Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), released the following statement after the Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a proposal to rescind President Biden's Public Lands Rule which conserves and protects America's public lands.

"Donald Trump's reckless 'drill baby drill' agenda is once again putting Colorado's cherished public lands at risk," Rep. DeGette said. "The Public Lands Rule preserves more of the nation's public lands from the threat of future development, and by rescinding this rule, the Trump Administration is threatening the very landscapes that make our state special-and undermining years of progress-all to line the pockets of Big Oil and Gas. I will fight tooth and nail against this reversal and continue working to ensure that conservation remains at the heart of how we manage America's public lands."

"Rescinding the Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule is the latest move in Trump's calculated campaign to dismantle protections for America's public lands," Rep. Huffman said. "Days ago, his Interior Department quietly issued another order making it harder for BLM to buy land for public access and conservation. Now, they're doubling down, handing 245 million acres over to oil, gas and mining interests behind closed doors and with no accountability. The Public Lands Rule was popular because it works. It put conservation on equal footing with energy development, grazing, and other uses, while strengthening outdoor recreation on lands that belong to every American. From California's coastal monuments to Montana's high plains, these landscapes are part of our natural heritage. Public lands are part of the solution to the climate crisis. They are not Trump's to sell off. They belong to all Americans, and we're not about to hand the keys over to the same polluters and profiteers who created this crisis. We will continue to fight to keep public lands in public hands."

Under the Biden Administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Public Lands Rule to preserve more of the nation's public lands from the threat of future development, improve land health by advancing restoration efforts, and create new restoration and mitigation leases. It also expanded the definition of "multiple use" to include ecological restoration and protection, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of public lands.

Rep. DeGette has been a long-time steward of public lands protection and led several pushes to BLM to finalize the Conservation and Landscape Health rule. She and Rep. Huffman applauded the initial ruling(link is external)from President Biden and BLM last April.

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