FY26 Budget Cuts, Fossil Fuel Expansion, and Burgum's Visit to Alcatraz - Public Lands News (July 14 - 18)
Outdoor Minimalist18 Heinä 2025

FY26 Budget Cuts, Fossil Fuel Expansion, and Burgum's Visit to Alcatraz - Public Lands News (July 14 - 18)

From staffing crises in national parks to energy dominance expansion across millions of acres of public land, here’s what you need to know:

FY26 Budget Breakdown: The House released its draft Interior-EPA spending bill, proposing deep cuts to conservation, environmental protection, and public lands. Including:

  • $213M cut to the National Park Service, amid a 24% staffing loss

  • 23% EPA budget cut, gutting water, air, and environmental justice programs

Public Lands Open for Drilling: ConocoPhillips wants to expand its Willow Project with new test wells in the Western Arctic. Meanwhile, Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” opens over 200 million acres of federal land to oil and gas drilling.

  • 81% of BLM lands in the West now open to leasing

  • Quarterly lease sales mandated, even without industry interest

  • Drilling proposed in San Luis Obispo County, CA

DOE’s Dirty Grid Report: The Department of Energy is propping up coal plants under a new Trump executive order, claiming fossil fuels are needed for grid reliability.

Burgum's Alcatraz Visit Sparks Backlash: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz to assess reopening it as a prison for “dangerous criminals,” per Trump’s May directive. But the site draws over 1 million visitors annually and generates $60M/year.

Public Broadcasting Cuts Approved: The House approved a rescission package eliminating $1.1 billion in CPB funding, gutting local public media nationwide.

👉 Follow us on Instagram (@outdoor.minimalist.book) for quick news breakdowns and action alerts.

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Listen to Last Monday's Interview with Land Tawney: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/189-trumps-big-ugly-bill-passed-without-land-sales/id1586174667?i=1000717199476

Episode Sources:

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget

https://www.npca.org/articles/9650-parks-group-to-congress-our-national-parks-need-more-staff-and-funding-not

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf

https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fy26-interior%2C-environment%2C-and-related-agencies-bill-sumnmary-subcommittee.pdf

https://www.eenews.net/articles/house-releases-interior-epa-spending-bill-with-deep-cuts/

Staff Cuts Continue

https://www.resistancerangers.org/press/futher-cuts-will-irreparably-harm-parks

https://protectnps.org/2025/07/09/supreme-court-ruling-greenlights-mass-layoffs-parks-groups-warn-national-parks-and-thousands-of-park-staff-in-jeopardy/

Public Lands Open for Drilling

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/conocophillips-pursues-reckless-exploration-western-arctic#

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/map-reveals-200-million-acres-now-open-oil-and-gas-drilling

https://www.wilderness.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Open%20for%20Drilling_TWS%20Report_0.pdf

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article310421755.html

Department of Energy

https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/doe-plans-prop-dirty-coal-plants

https://www.energy.gov/topics/reliability

Burgum Visit's Acatraz

https://www.npca.org/articles/9815-parks-group-rejects-transfer-proposal-for-alcatraz

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-interior-doug-burgum-and-attorney-general-pam-bondi-visit-alcatraz-island

Public Broadcasting Cuts

https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa

Banning Ranch Becomes Southern California’s Newest Nature Preserve

https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/orange-county-randall-preserve-20770791.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Michigan’s Mariners Preserve Opens for Public Access

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/saginaw-basin-land-conservancy-open-mariners-20769361.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Jaksot(282)

Building the Border Wall in Big Bend, Steve Pearce Stumbles During Hearing, and 2.1M Acres Open in Dalton Corridor - Public Land News (Feb 23-27)

Building the Border Wall in Big Bend, Steve Pearce Stumbles During Hearing, and 2.1M Acres Open in Dalton Corridor - Public Land News (Feb 23-27)

During this week’s public lands news briefing on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have three feature stories for you. And no, this is not all that’s happened with public lands this week. So, as alwa...

27 Helmi 28min

212. Is Zero-Waste Backpacking Possible? with Alisha McDarris

212. Is Zero-Waste Backpacking Possible? with Alisha McDarris

Is zero-waste backpacking possible?Well, in a lot of ways, yes, and in some ways, not really. We saw this play out when a previous guest of ours, one of our earliest guests, actually in episode 37. In...

23 Helmi 36min

Steve Pearce to Lead BLM and the Senate Awaits CRA Vote - Public Lands News (Feb 16-20)

Steve Pearce to Lead BLM and the Senate Awaits CRA Vote - Public Lands News (Feb 16-20)

I know I said that we would only be releasing Friday public lands news episodes every other week, but we have a special episode for you today covering two of the most pressing issues regarding public ...

20 Helmi 13min

211. We Can Solve the Plastic Pollution Crisis with Judith Enck

211. We Can Solve the Plastic Pollution Crisis with Judith Enck

By now, we know that our society has a problem with plastics. They seem to have made their way into every aspect of our lives. They’re inescapable, but this is a problem that doesn’t need to last fore...

16 Helmi 27min

Progress on the Ambler Road, Threats to the Tongass National Forest, and a Delayed CRA Vote in the Senate - Public Lands News

Progress on the Ambler Road, Threats to the Tongass National Forest, and a Delayed CRA Vote in the Senate - Public Lands News

We expected the Senate vote on H.J. Res. 140, which would overturn the 20-year mining ban protecting the BWCA, to occur this week, but it was postponed until after their upcoming recess. The vote coul...

13 Helmi 27min

210. The Pet Industry Has An Overconsumption Problem with Spencer Williams

210. The Pet Industry Has An Overconsumption Problem with Spencer Williams

You know full well that I am a dog lover, and I know that many of you are dog lovers, or just pet lovers in general. They are our family, and much like humans, our domesticated pets have a pretty big ...

9 Helmi 31min

209. We All Play a Role in the Resistance

209. We All Play a Role in the Resistance

Where do we go from here?Where are the leaders?Why does it feel like no one is doing anything?In this solo episode of The Outdoor Minimalist Podcast, we work to dismantle one of the most persistent my...

2 Helmi 24min

Congress is After Resource Management Plans in Minnesota and Utah, Sage Grouse Protections Changing - Public Lands News (January 2026)

Congress is After Resource Management Plans in Minnesota and Utah, Sage Grouse Protections Changing - Public Lands News (January 2026)

A lot has been happening this year already, and while many Americans are focused on ICE terrorizing US citizens in places like Minneapolis, attacks on public lands have not slowed down, they’re just g...

30 Tammi 30min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
rss-sinivalkoinen-islam
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
the-ulkopolitist
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-girls-finish-f1rst
rss-50100-podcast
rss-kuka-mina-olen