The Coming Storm
America’s Public Lands Will Be Attacked Like Never Before
Last month an election of some considerable consequence took place, the results of which spell quite a bit of trouble for America’s public lands. Now to be clear, we’re non-partisan here at More Than Just Parks, but we’re also not shy about our advocacy for the environment, conservation, and public lands. So with that in mind I thought we would peer into our crystal ball and take a look ahead at what promises to be a bleak four years for American landscapes.
This newsletter marks the beginning of what will be an ongoing series where we’ll dissect the threats looming over our public lands in the coming administration and explore what can be done to help prevent the worst. Spoiler alert: I think we’re in for an arc similar to the Stark family in Game of Thrones—its going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Now to predict what the Trump administration might unleash in its next term, we need only glance back at the wreckage of its first. Between 2017 and 2021, we witnessed an unprecedented assault on fundamental environmental safeguards, established laws, and the traditional stewardship of America’s public lands. From stripping protections from national monuments to gutting critical environmental regulations, it was a four-year blitz on the natural world.
A Record So Bad, It’s Criminal – Literally!
The reviews are in, and this record was a smash hit—if ecological disasters are your jam. Sure it took four years for people to come around and appreciate it’s singularity, but it’s clear the fans want the band back together. I thought we could have a look back at what listeners and critics had to say before we dive into the tracks themselves.
“Grooves of greed and destruction” –Lumberman’s Weekly
“A playlist of pure plunder” –Musician’s Monthly
“Catchy, corrupt, and catastrophically bad" –Public Lands Post
"Music to bulldoze by" –The Coal Baron’s Review
"Unforgettable—like an oil spill." –Coastal Times
“An LP of lies and looting” –The Environmental Standard
"Every track is a hit to the planet and my pride as an American." –John S. from Cleveland
"This album drills into your head—and into public lands." –Conservation Gazette
"A masterpiece of malpractice." –The Wall Street Sentinel
“I’ve never heard a whale die, but I imagine it sounds something like this” –Irvin R. from Oakland
With reviews like that it’s no wonder the band is getting back together for another 4 years! Now let’s take a look back at that very commercially successful (if you know what I mean) hit album:
Bears Ears Blues: “A soulful strum about the monumental sacking of sacred lands.”
Trump gutted Bears Ears National Monument by 85%, handing over sacred Indigenous lands to mining companies salivating at the chance to dig up uranium and drill for oil.
Pipeline Polka in Polar Bear Paradise: “A jaunty jig about turning Arctic wilderness into an industrial wasteland.”
The administration fast-tracked leases to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, attempting to bulldoze the last pristine habitat for polar bears and caribou in favor of pipelines and profits.
Paris? Never Heard of Her: “A sassy rejection of international climate responsibility.”
The U.S. bailed on the Paris Climate Agreement, signaling to the world that it would rather burn the planet than protect it.
Sludge on the Water: “A grimy anthem for polluted streams and industrial runoff.”
Repealed the Waters of the U.S. Rule and removed protections for millions of miles of streams and wetlands. This allowed industries to pollute waterways without federal oversight, threatening drinking water for over 100 million Americans.
Endangered Species? Who Needs 'Em?: “A bouncy track celebrating bulldozers over biodiversity.”
The administration severely weakened the Endangered Species Act, allowing developers to bulldoze critical habitats under the guise of “economic progress.”
Can’t Be Bad If I Can’t See It: “An upbeat yet deadly greenhouse gas groove.”
Rolled back Obama-era methane rules and allowed oil and gas companies to vent and flare methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO₂—without oversight.
Fastrack Fiasco: “A lively number celebrating cutting corners with flair.”
Changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) severely limited the scope and timeline of environmental reviews, fast-tracking industrial projects without proper impact assessments. (SCOTUS is currently poised to gut NEPA further)
Coal Train Revival: “A bluesy anthem for dirty energy’s comeback tour.”
The Clean Power Plan was scrapped, and in its place came a policy that gave coal plants a free pass to keep belching toxic emissions. The administration also lifted a moratorium on coal mining on public lands.
The Curious Case of Scott Pruitt: “A dramatic and ridiculous recounting of Pruitt’s infamous escapades”
Scott Pruitt was Trump’s EPA Administrator who, prior to getting the job, spoke often about his desire to destroy the agency. While in power he spent his time cozying up to oil executives, slashing regulations, and padding his own nest with taxpayer-funded first class flights, $43,000 soundproof booths for secret calls with people he was supposed to be regulating, and a hilarious Chick-fil-A franchise scheme. Oh and let’s not forget his $50-a-night sweetheart deal for a Capitol Hill condo from an energy lobbyist or his $1,560 taxpayer-funded “tactical pants”. This cartoonish villain couldn’t even finish out his term he was so mired in ridiculous corruption scandals.
Old Growth Means Bigger Logs: “An upbeat but undeniably sad ballad of old growth destruction.”
The administration wiped out longstanding protections for 9.3 million acres of old-growth forest in the Tongass National Forest, allowing logging roads and clear-cuts in America’s largest temperate rainforest.
The Grand Staircase Stomp: “A gritty track about cutting monuments down to size regardless of public input.”
Slashed Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly 50%, paving the way for coal mining and other development. The move targeted areas rich in fossils and fragile desert ecosystems, erasing decades of conservation work.
Bye Bye Birdies: “A comedic riff on the casual dismissal of longstanding bird protections.”
The administration’s inventive reinterpretation of the Migratory Bird Act made it nearly impossible to penalize industries for “incidental” bird deaths caused by oil spills, power lines, and wind turbines.
Diesel Dreams: “A revved-up anthem for dragging pollution progress into reverse.”
The administration rolled back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, adding an estimated 1 billion tons of CO₂ to the atmosphere over the lifetime of the vehicles.
Mining Nemo: “A darkly funny underwater adventure gone wrong.”
Overturned protections for marine sanctuaries, allowing commercial fishing and energy development in previously safeguarded areas, including parts of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Drill Till You Spill Jig: “A frantic and ironic track about playing with fire on the coasts.”
Proposed opening more than 90% of U.S. coastal waters to drilling, a move opposed by nearly every coastal state due to the high risk of oil spills and ecosystem damage.
Chemical Roulette: “A fast-paced, darkly comedic tune about pesticide pandemonium.”
Pesticides banned under the Obama administration for poisoning bees and wildlife were brought back, to the delight of agribusiness giants.
Big Oil’s Lip Servant: “A twangy tune about selling out public lands with a twirl of the stache.”
William Perry Pendley (google for mustache), a man who openly despised public lands, ran the Bureau of Land Management without Senate confirmation (that’s illegal). Before that he spent his career advocating the large scale sell off of federal public lands and used his short tenure to lease them to oil companies like party favors.
Believe me, this 'greatest hits' compilation is criminally short compared to the full discography of destruction. Some instant classics didn’t even make the cut, like kickstarting uranium mining at the Grand Canyon or turning the Boundary Waters into a toxic dumping ground.. The list of affronts to public lands and the environment under Trump’s first term could fill a book—and not a short one.
The Small Silver Lining
The small silver lining in all this is that President Biden was able to reverse many of them, thanks in part to their hasty and legally dubious implementation. Sadly, the next administration appears far more prepared to deliver a swift, calculated, thorough gutting of environmental protections—and do so in a way that could endure.
What’s On Deck?
So, what comes next? Tune in next time as I dive into the nominees for key positions in the upcoming administration and what they’re likely to do. We’ll also crack open the infamous Project 2025 and see what it has to say about public lands and the environment. And I’ll sift through the rumor mill to see what people are saying about what else we might expect.
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Until Next Time
Thanks for sticking around through Will’s newsletters while I was away—he did his best. Between post-production on some big projects, remodeling what feels like my entire house, and trying to keep an 8-month-old entertained (a task my wife might say I barely pass at), it’s been a wild fall. Needless to say, I’m glad to be back in your inboxes!
Until next time.
– Jim
Thank you for this brave statement. I've subscribed.
I love how "non-partisan" you guys are. Hilarious. In the case of Bears Ears, the entire Utah Congressional delegation, along with the Utah Governor, were in favor of Trump's move. He returned lands seized by the federal government back to locals, as it should be.