By Alex Gonzalez
New U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has issued a 15-day review of all public lands and national monuments that, until now, have been excluded from drilling and mining development. The Trump administration says it's part of efforts to diversify the nation's energy portfolio.
Arizona is home to 19 national monuments - the latest one designated in 2023 by President Joe Biden near the Grand Canyon.
The White House claims expanding drilling could be the answer to lowering the costs of fuel and energy. Daniel Hart, director of clean-energy and climate-resiliency policy at the National Parks Conservation Association, questioned whether that would actually be the case.
"They also have said that the need is there because there has been so little oil and gas leasing," he said. "However, the Biden administration had some of the most oil and gas production by an administration in a long time, and it was ramped up under him. And some lease sales have gone without a bid over the past four years, even."
There are already questions about whether it's legal to modify national monument boundaries, which could be a violation of the Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to designate national monuments.
During his first term, Donald Trump issued a similar review and did scale back protections. Burgum's order would remove protections put in place by the previous administration.
Hart argued that, despite the current administration's promises, the effects of such action wouldn't be felt for some time.
"The timeline from starting a lease sale until oil and gas is pumping, and then refined and into the market, it's a long time," he said. "It would not immediately do anything to lower gas prices across the country."
Hart added that polling shows public lands, as well as national parks and monuments, are popular across the board for protecting natural and cultural resources.
"But also, there's a public benefit, of course: they support the outdoor recreation economy, especially in rural states," he said. "There are trails all throughout them. They expand access to nature."
Close to 90% of Arizonans support creation of new national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges as well as tribal protected areas, according to the 2024 Conservation in the West poll.
