Eroding protections for public lands
The U.S. Congress has passed hundreds of laws protecting federal public lands over the past century through bipartisan efforts and with the support of local governments. Now, President Donald Trump’s administration and some Republican lawmakers in Congress are pushing policies and legislation that upend these protections. Plans to open nearly 59 million acres of national forest land to road construction and mandate lease sales for drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge prioritize energy extraction over conservation. Public lands managed by the federal government stretch across the United States but are concentrated in the West. U.S. FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS LOCATION 56% 36% 8% American West Alaska Rest of U.S. A bar chart showing the vast majority of public lands reside in Alaska and the Western states of America. Data as of 2018. The American West includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Public lands in