Early in 2024, the Biden administration took significant conservation actions: expanding two national monuments, finalizing rules to conserve 13 million acres in America’s Arctic, ensuring the oil and gas industry pays its fair share for public resources, and reversing outdated decision-making that favored energy over conservation on public lands. These efforts build on previous progress, with the administration having protected more than 41 million acres of public lands and waters and invested over $18 billion toward conservation projects nationwide. Nearly 80 percent of Americans support the conservation of public lands.
Despite this widespread support, public lands face increasing threats from extreme interests, including the extractive industry and their congressional allies. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 outlines an agenda that seeks to prioritize profit over people on public lands. Project 2025 proposes repealing the Antiquities Act of 1906—a tool used to protect iconic landscapes—and reviewing President Joe Biden’s national monument designations and resource management plans from the past four years. It also advocates for increased oil and gas lease sales and expanded drilling in America’s Arctic.
A new analysis by CAP identifies a movement within Congress aimed at erasing parks and privatizing public lands. Extreme members of the 118th Congress are pushing antiparks legislation, overturning conservation rulemakings, attacking presidential authority to protect public lands, rolling back key safeguards for landscapes, and prioritizing industry profits over public use.
The congressional antiparks caucus consists of members who have introduced or co-sponsored multiple antiparks bills or signed onto a legal amicus brief undermining presidential authority to protect public lands. This brief emerged from the bipartisan Congressional Western Caucus but was signed only by those with a track record of anticonservation legislative action.
The antiparks agenda includes various legislative categories aimed at removing protections from special places; undermining rights to clean air and water; subverting Tribal sovereignty; and eroding traditions of protecting resources for future generations.
One significant goal is undermining presidential authority under the Antiquities Act. Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cliff Bentz (R-OR) lead efforts to limit national monument designations through a legal amicus brief. Other related legislation includes Rep. Paul Gosar’s (R-AZ) Northern Arizona Protection Act (H.R. 5635), which seeks to nullify a Grand Canyon National Monument designation, and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (R-IA) Congressional Oversight of the Antiquities Act (H.R. 5499), imposing restrictions on using the Antiquities Act.
Efforts also target rulemakings that prioritize people over polluters on public lands. Legislation includes Rep. Pete Stauber’s (R-MN) Alaska’s Right to Produce Act (H.R. 6285), reinstating oil leases in protected areas; Rep John Curtis’ (R-UT) House bill H.R.,3397 targeting BLM's conservation rulemaking; Sen John Barrasso's Senate Bill S1435 companion bill H.R.;and Sen.Barrasso's Bill S3929 attacks old growth forest protections..
Legislation favoring dirty energy development aims to ease restrictions for companies exploiting protected lands—benefiting extractive industries financially while harming environmental protections.Rep.Pete Stauber's Permitting Mining Needs Act(H.R209);Sen.John Barrasso Promoting Effective Forest Management(S2867);Rep.Garret Graves Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection(H6814).
Additional attacks focus on already protected landscapes like Rock Springs Wyoming ChacoCanyon where local communities advocated long-term protection measures against mineral withdrawals/lease cancellations/resource management plans impacting unique biological/geological/archaeological/cultural features setting dangerous precedents removing protections special places never truly off-limits industrial development
Bills led/supported by118thantiparkscaucusspecificallytargetEndangeredSpeciesAct(ESA);protections endangered species/habitats/breeding/migrating grounds include Senate Joint Resolutions924 targeting lesser prairie-chicken/northern long-eared bat.Rep.DanNewhouse(R-WA)/Sen.CynthiaLummis(R-WY)companion bills limiting interagency collaborative work protecting endangered species
Congressional antiparkscaucusalso limits funding Department Interior Environmental Protection Agency related agencies hampering duties safeguarding environmental resources/public availability/enforcement against bad industry actors affecting community health/clean air/water access
In conclusion,thecongressionalantiparkscaucusagenda mirrors Heritage Foundation Project2025 posing risk dismantling conservation as known.extremeantiparksagendatakeshold crucial highlight pro-extractiveindustryintentions push ideas out power.Conservationactions overwhelmingly popular historically bipartisan increasingly critical amidst changing climate.membersantiparkscaucus must held accountable acting direct opposition perspectives needs hopes constituents including right access protected nature clean air/water important places communities cultures
Acknowledgements
The author would like thank Jenny Rowland-Shea Nicole Gentile Drew McConville Alia Hidayat Mariel Lutz Will Beaudouin Bill Rapp Keenan Alexander Chester Hawkins Mat Brady Audrey Juarez Lauren Vicary Doug Molof Jen Rokala Aaron Weiss Jordan Schreiber Sarah Guy Mary Olive local national conservation leaders building impactful equitable solutions every day.
