Public Lands are "Open for Drilling" ft. The Wilderness Society, USDA Reorganization, and FY2026 Budget Updates - Public Lands News (July 21 - 25)

This week in the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news review, we cover:

• USDA’s major reorganization plan

  • What it means for the U.S. Forest Service and wildfire response

  • How agency relocations and office closures could impact conservation work

  • Centralization of services like civil rights, tribal affairs, and grants management

• H.R. 1 “The Big Ugly Bill” with 🎙️ Guest: Justin Meuse, Government Relations Director for Climate and Energy at The Wilderness Society

  • How it opens up over 200 million acres of public lands to oil and gas drilling

• Federal funding updates

  • Budget cuts to the National Wildlife Refuge System

  • EPA enforcement and staffing reductions

• Culture war policy in parks

  • Enactment of proposals to restrict education on climate change, Indigenous history, and LGBTQ+ history in National Parks

• State-level conservation wins

  • Vermont’s wildlife corridor law

  • Texas’ vote to protect the Fairfield Lake site

  • New York’s new bird-safe buildings legislation

  • Virginia’s trail access protections

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Links & Resources:

• ⁠Wilderness Society: “Open for Drilling” Report⁠ (https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/map-reveals-200-million-acres-now-open-oil-and-gas-drilling)

• ⁠Refuge Association on House Budget Cuts⁠ (https://www.refugeassociation.org/press-releases/2025/7/23/house-funding-bill-chips-away-at-national-wildlife-refuges-with-deep-cuts-amp-damaging-riders)

  American Bird Conservancy State Legislation Wins⁠ (https://abcbirds.org/news/state-legislation-wins-july-2025/)