Interior Department to Review Federal Land Leases Amid Energy Push

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, testifies before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill on Jan. 16, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Federal officials will review public land leases and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents as part of efforts to expand domestic energy production, according to a Feb. 3 order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

The secretarial order, titled ‘Unleashing American Energy,’ mandates a 15-day internal review by the Interior Department of certain public lands withdrawn from mining, oil, and gas development.

Though Burgum’s order does not explicitly use the words “national monuments,” it calls on the department’s assistant secretaries to take “actions to review and, as appropriate, revise all withdrawn public lands” under the Antiquities Act of 1906, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

The Antiquities Act grants a president authority to declare historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest situated upon Federal lands to be national monuments.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act governs how public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management are managed. It states that these lands should be managed in a manner that protects “the quality of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water resource, and archeological values.”

Burgum’s order would apply to a multitude of national monuments managed by the Interior Department, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah.

Grand Staircase-Escalante holds large coal reserves while the Bears Ears area has uranium.

Burgum gave Interior Department staff until Feb. 18 to submit plans on how to comply with his order.

In a statement, Burgum said the Interior Department is “committed to working collaboratively to unlock America’s full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America’s natural resources and innovation.”

The Interior Department oversees more than 500 million acres of public lands, including more than 400 national parks and 560 national wildlife refuges.

“Together, we will ensure that our policies reflect the needs of our communities, respect tribal sovereignty, and drive innovation that will keep the U.S. at the forefront of energy and environmental leadership,” Burgum added.

Burgum’s plan is facing criticism from conservation groups who are concerned that the Trump administration will shrink or eliminate national monuments.

CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation Chris Hill said in a statement, that Burgum’s orders ignore “the rural residents and communities whose personal and local incomes rely on these lands being protected from privatization.”

During his first term, President Donald Trump reduced the size of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, calling them a “massive land grab.” He also lifted fishing restrictions within a sprawling marine monument off the New England Coast.

The previous administration reversed those reductions and restrictions in 2021.

In a separate statement, Dan Hartinger, senior director of agency policy for The Wilderness Society, said Americans consider public lands “key to our shared national identity” and “want to see them managed in a balanced and responsible way.”

“They don’t want to see these places neglected or wrecked by drilling or mining. Hiding the ball on a review of national monuments shows the White House and Interior know full well how unpopular these actions are,” Hartinger said. “We hope Secretary Burgum will reconsider this approach and listen to the public about how essential protected public lands are to their local communities and ways of life.”

The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for the Interior Department for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.