From Coal Plants to Canyon Lands: Trump’s Land Grab

Join these efforts now to stop him

Jul 31, 2025

When we talk about power, we are unavoidably talking about the possession of land. When this country was established, it is no mistake that only those who owned land could vote. It is very intentional that framers designated federal lands on state property that were specifically untouchable by local interests.

Land ownership is resource ownership. And accumulation of resources constitutes both wealth and power.

It’s no surprise that Trump and his allies are going after public lands, because in doing so, they undermine collective power while entrenching the influence of the wealthy. In the event that voters turn away from this GOP party and its leadership, Republican big wigs have some hard-to-undo land ownership measures that ensure their wealth is protected for the long haul.

Luckily, we have a lot of leaders who are ready to fight back, and they are stepping up like never before. I’d like to share a few this week that need our immediate attention.

UTAH: Fighting To Keep Wildlands Public
Utah’s powerful industry-affiliated elected leaders have their sights set on public wildlands. With ties to real estate, logging, and resource extraction, they are advocating for federal lands to be unprotected and privatized. And they are unrelenting in their efforts.

Unsuccessful attempts to force the federal government to relinquish control of its land haven’t thwarted Senator Mike Lee. In January, he backed a failed effort to sue the federal government for its ownership of 18.5 million acres of land in Utah. Then he was forced to pull his amendment from the tax bill that would have mandated a federal sale of lands. But he made it clear that he and his allies aren’t giving up on the idea.

Elected state leaders have already used taxpayer dollars to pay for an invasive 2 million dollar misinformation campaign that is slated to continue through 2026. The “Stand for Our Land” slogan and advertising assert that Utahns should push for federal lands to be ceded to Utah government so that they can better manage them. This is despite experts declaring that the state lacks the capacity to take on the responsibility, and leaders’ assertions that they want to be able to profit financially from land sales.

After advocacy group Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) challenged the state’s efforts to sue the federal government and the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, and the state dropped the lawsuit. In May, SUWA’s counter case was dismissed that would have prevented the state from future lawsuits for state oversight of federal lands, but its legal director Steve Bloch pointed out an important victory.

He said, “the true intent of the state’s lawsuit has been made clear: to force the sale of millions of acres of public lands to the highest bidder and not to acquire these lands for the state, as its deliberately misleading media campaign suggests.” Bloch vowed that his team and their advocates are ready for any future threat of public lands being sold for private interests, and that their lawsuit will be refiled when necessary.

In the meantime, SUWA is taking on the Trump machine from another angle. They are challenging the way the Bureau of Land Management is implementing Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda in Utah. It is soliciting public input to pressure Utah’s Acting State Director Jerry Davis not to sell public wildlands to private oil and gas development. Especially if you live in Utah or have experience visiting their public lands, your personal stories and opinions about Utah’s natural resources are needed now more than ever. Click here to submit your public comment.

MICHIGAN: Sparring For Energy Control

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order mandating that certain closed coal plants, including two in Michigan, be reopened due to what he called a federal energy emergency. Caught in the crosshairs of his sweeping order, Michiganders who have worked together for years to close Monroe and J.H. Campbell Power Plants are fighting back.

They argue that the plants are more costly to reopen and operate, and that Michigan land and water are being damaged by toxic discharge from the coal operations. So far, their complaints, and even a hint that the state Attorney General might sue, have been ignored.

But just last week, nine public advocacy groups including Earth Justice and the Sierra Club filed a petition for review last week that would challenge Trump’s authority to keep the coal plants open. At the core of this debate is the question of who has the right to decide what is best for a community, and how those decisions are allowed to be made. It is holistic planning versus short-sighted ideology, and I, for one, am keeping a close eye on where this goes next.

ALASKA: Wrestling for Rights to Life-Giving Arctic Land

Trump announced that he intends to open up 13 million acres of protected public land in the Western Arctic to oil and gas companies for drilling. These lands, some of the most biodiverse and fragile in the world, are crucial for the entire world’s climate. They are also vital habitats for caribou, fish, beluga whales, 4.5 million arctic birds, wolverines, and polar bears, just to name a few. Any changes to this environment will be felt downstream in countless ways.

And of course, there are people living in this reserve who are more acutely affected. Indigenous people have been standing up for the protection of the land they know to be precious to their survival and way of life. Just last year, they found victory in 3 policy documents increasing protections and guiding the management of these reserved areas was created and instituted, all founded on public input and local knowledge.

The BLM rescinded these policy documents two days ago. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum praised the move, while negating the relevance and wisdom of the policies that so many community members worked hard to put in place. The message is clear: Trump will do what he wants, and he doesn’t care what anyone else has to say about it. But we will make ourselves heard.

We have until August 4th to contribute public comments against Trump’s proposal to open these Western Arctic lands to development and extraction. There were over 10,000 comments 2 days ago, but clearly, we need more. Please add your voice to the choir, and stop this destruction from going any further. Click here to submit your public comment.

THE ROADLESS RULE: Under Threat

National Forests are at risk of intrusion from private development and mining interests. In May, Trump called for an end to a Clinton era Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The rule protects national forest lands from development and resource extraction. It has been challenged by Republicans before unsuccessfully, but this time they think they might just be able to slide in its death nail.

Forestry experts speaking out against it assert that it goes against best practices of land management, and that the short term benefits won’t cover the long term damage to our public land and water. An elimination of the rule would leave public lands vulnerable to forest fires, would change ecosystems, and would intrude on scenic and recreational experiences.

Every forest is at risk, but again, Alaska is left particularly vulnerable. Its arctic old growth Tongass Forest is vulnerable to logging, and the USDA is citing false needs to protect it from forest fires as rationale to construct roads. Their logic is bonkers and is disputed by field experts and reporters.

This statement from Sierra Club’s forest campaign manager Alex Craven cuts to the heart of the matter: “Once again, the Trump administration is ignoring the voices of millions of Americans to pursue a corporate giveaway for his billionaire buddies…That means polluting our clean air and drinking water sources to pad the bottom lines of timber and mining companies – all while pursuing the same kind of mismanagement that increases wildfire severity.”

The roadless rule isn’t officially ended yet, and it will have a chance for formal open debate. It is expected that it will soon be open for public comment, and I am hoping for a flood of it.

LET’S GO!

Each of these fights are ongoing and involve Trump-backed corporate interests clashing with local communities. They strike at the core of who we are as a country. State rights, the collective good, and the value of land are at the core of their debates. Each deserves daylight, and each calls us to join the people who are so passionately and defiantly standing in the way of injustice.

With love and hope for the future,

Stephanie

There are so many affected by Trump’s attempts to destroy our federal lands. How do you find ways to protest? What people and organizations are helping you find your power?

Parks People

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