Trump Administration’s Approach to Public Land and Conservation

Formerly trusted as the face of the Forest Service, Smokey Bear’s message, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” seems overshadowed by President Donald Trump’s actions. Trump suggested, “The way I can prevent forest fires is to permit more logging.” This strategy reflects a larger plan to prioritize exploitation over natural conservation where possible.

Logging presents a clear example. Trump’s administration aimed to raise logging by 25%. Efforts were made to overturn the “roadless rule,” protecting 45 million acres of untouched forest. Environmental regulations were weakened, giving miners and loggers faster access. Even the Public Lands Rule, which balanced conservation with commercial use on public land, was reversed.

The administration often justified logging by claiming it prevents forest fires. A forest that doesn’t exist can’t burn, yet saying more logging leads to effective fire breaks is dubious. A study suggests more people and more logging lead to more fires. The problem lies with careless human behavior.

An essential aspect of this debate involves legal differences. The federal government owns millions of raw land acres. The Bureau of Land Management administers 245 million acres with limited, now reduced, protection. Distinctively protected are the 52 million acres known as “national parks,” regulated for future generations’ enjoyment. Despite this, Trump’s administration pushed for private development near Yosemite and construction in Big Bend National Park for a border wall. Plans to dismantle a drilling buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico were also in motion.

Trump’s stance on conservation was epitomized by its reversed decision concerning the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. Conservationist Laurence Rockefeller donated 5,000 acres for enduring preservation. A 150-acre eco-resort reverted to the Park System in 2023, post-study. Plans were made to restore 67 acres of the resort ensuring public beach access and local business priorities. Yet the Trump administration opened all 150 acres for development, removed guest room limits, commercialized historic ruins, and eliminated local business priorities.

Local residents, including me, are mobilizing to oppose these actions through legal channels. A National Park Service Environmental Assessment criticized the adopted plan as harmful. Federal law mandates rational action, and implementing a plan that damages the park contradicts this mandate. Republican leaders like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Theodore Roosevelt upheld national parks’ protection principles. These conservative presidents understood conservation.

Along with Smokey, Johnny Horizon from the Bureau of Land Management urged people, “to respect the public lands and treat them as if they belong to us, because they really do.” So, why aren’t we doing that?

Thomas G. Moukawsher is a former Connecticut complex litigation judge. He authored ‘The Common Flaw’ and an upcoming book ‘How to Sue the Government’. The views in this article belong to the writer.