Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC— Today, the Trump administration proposed gutting protections for national forest lands— granting easier access to the fossil fuel industry for drilling and fracking on the landscapes. The proposed rule will limit the Forest Service’s opportunities to evaluate whether an area is too high-risk to drill or frack, and the agency will not be required to conduct full environmental reviews on leasing decisions. The rollback also nixes public comment periods meant for deliberating locations of proposed oil and gas development. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed rule.
The announcement adds to several environmental protection rollbacks issued during the COVID-19 public health crisis and continues a pattern of putting fossil fuel interests ahead of community and environmental concerns. The rollback would also encourage more drilling in places already being hard hit by pollution from existing development. Read the proposed rule here.
In response to the announcement, Lena Moffitt, Director of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, released the following statement:
“The Trump administration continues its reckless and shameful agenda to gut environmental and health protections in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, which they have completely failed to handle. Advancing fossil fuel development and its pollution threatens our health, environment and climate— all which are facing overlapping crises.
“We deserve better than the Trump administration’s complete neglect of science and our health. Scientists, organizations and communities across the country are calling on leaders to advance protections for at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030 to fight the climate crisis, future public health threats like pandemics, and safeguard our air and water. This bold effort will help make our public lands a part of the solution and give us a fighting chance to reverse this administration’s damage and provide a healthy, safer future. Today’s proposed rollback will take our country in the wrong direction.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.