"Emergency Declaration by Department of Interior Limitates Public Feedback and Lessens Protections for Endangered Species"

Cranking Up the Dynamite: The Trump Administration's Rush to Hell on National Lands

The Trump administration, ever since it stormed into the Oval Office in 2025, has been on a rampage to riches, pushing through emergency procedures to speed up oil, gas, and mining projects on national lands, all under the pretense of a phony national energy emergency. Here's the lowdown on their destructive deeds.

Last night, this bunch of self-serving jokers announced a slew of fast-track methods for oil, gas, and mining projects on national lands. Say goodbye to meaningful public engagement and adieu to protections for threatened and endangered species.

"This so-called 'emergency' declaration is an illegal power grab intended to enable unfettered energy development while shutting the public out," said Andrew Bowman, the fearless leader of Defenders of Wildlife. "The American people deserve to know and be part of decisions affecting public lands and endangered species, but this stooge administration is keeping us in the dark."

The administration's get-rich-quick scheme, known as EO 14156, allows the Department of the Interior to sidestep key provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, hastily pushing through energy development projects under the guise of a fabricated energy emergency. The order slashes environmental review time down to just 28 days for projects with significant environmental impact and 14 days for those with lesser impacts, stripping citizens of their right to voice their concerns.

This move fits perfectly with the DOI's overall plan to expedite development, which was leaked to Public Domain Media on April 23. The agency's strategic plan outlines its grandiose intentions to boost fossil fuel development, logging, grazing, and mining while tossing protective regulations like a hot potato.

The draft strategic plan intends to:

Outsource public lands by selling them off or turning them over to local governments, who historically have been more eager to industrialize them.
Utilize rights-of-way and land exchanges to facilitate development on protected lands.
Streamline permitting for oil, gas, and coal development through deregulation.
Review and "right size" national monuments – code for shrinking them or eliminating them altogether, thus reducing their protections.
Delist supposedly “recovered” endangered wildlife, leaving imperiled species vulnerable.

The DOI is in charge of 20% of the nation's lands, administering cherished national parks, national wildlife refuges, and the public lands system; migratory bird and wildlife conservation; and the recovery of threatened and endangered species.

"National lands are home to hundreds of listed species and thousands of unlisted at-risk species – some that live nowhere else on earth," Bowman warned. "We will not stand idly by while this administration recklessly rides roughshod over the conservation laws put in place to protect imperiled wildlife and their homes."

For 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has been steadfast in its commitment to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural habitats. With a vast network of nearly 2.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a strong advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for future generations. To learn more, please visit our website or follow us on Twitter @Defenders.

Jacqueline Covey

Insight: The Trump administration, since its early executive actions in 2025, has implemented emergency procedures aimed at fast-tracking oil, gas, and mining projects on national lands, particularly in response to a declared national energy emergency[1][4][5]. The key developments and their implications are outlined below.

Current Status of Emergency Procedures:

National Energy Emergency Declaration: On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14156, declaring a national energy emergency, allowing federal agencies to use alternative, expedited procedures for permitting energy and mining projects[1][4][5].
Permitting Reform and Fast-Track Procedures: Agencies have been directed to bypass typical environmental review timelines, leveraging existing regulations that allow for emergency actions[5].
Emergency Permitting Procedures: The DOI and BLM have implemented emergency permitting procedures to expedite geothermal, oil, gas, and mining projects, aiming to address the declared emergency by reducing project approval times[1][4].

Implications:

Public Engagement:

Reduced Public Input: The fast-track procedures significantly shorten or eliminate public notice and comment periods, limiting opportunities for community and stakeholder engagement in the permitting process[5].
Transparency Concerns: By moving forward with project approvals before comprehensive environmental reviews, the process becomes less transparent to the public.

Protected Species:

Endangered Species Act (ESA): The emergency procedures allow for delayed or truncated ESA consultations, meaning that full assessments of impacts to threatened or endangered species may occur post-approval rather than before project implementation[5].
Increased Risk: This raises the risk of harm to protected species, as mitigation measures and project modifications that would normally be required under full review may not be imposed in a timely manner.

Environmental Regulations:

Short-Circuited Reviews: The administration's approach relies on existing regulatory provisions that permit agencies to act quickly in emergencies, including those under the Clean Water Act, ESA, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)[5].
Potentially Insufficient Analysis: By conducting some environmental reviews after project approval, there is a risk that significant environmental impacts may not be adequately addressed before construction or operations begin[5].
Staff and Resource Shortages: The administration has also prioritized reducing agency staff and budgets, which may further slow the eventual completion of deferred environmental analyses and limit the agencies' capacity to monitor and enforce compliance[5].

Summary Table:

| Aspect | Current Status/Change | Implications ||------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|| Public Engagement | Shortened/eliminated comment periods| Less community input, reduced transparency || Protected Species | Delayed ESA consultations | Increased risk to threatened/endangered species || Environmental Review | Fast-tracked, some reviews post-approval| Potential for inadequate impact assessments|| Regulatory Flexibility | Use of emergency provisions | Quicker project starts, but less oversight || Agency Resources | Staff/budget reductions | Slower completion of deferred analyses |

The Trump administration's new policy, EO 14156, encourages the Department of the Interior to disregard key provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, negatively impacting environmental-science and wildlife conservation by rushing through energy development projects without thorough scientific analysis.
A draft strategic plan leaked by Public Domain Media reveals the Department of the Interior's plan to accelerate fossil fuel development, logging, grazing, and mining, which could accelerate climate-change due to increased carbon emissions, and disregard policy-and-legislation intended to protect the environment.
Critics like Andrew Bowman, leader of Defenders of Wildlife, argue that the Trump administration's policies are detrimental to the environment and general-news, as national lands—home to numerous endangered species—face devastation due to inadequate protection from climate-change, deforestation, and mining activities, fueled by political interests.