Media Center

Trump Administration Repeals Landmark Public Lands Rule

May 11, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C.

The Department of the Interior repealed the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule, eliminating the regulatory requirement that conservation be weighed alongside mining, drilling, timber, and grazing across 245 million acres of public lands.

Environmental Nonprofits Sue Trump Administration to Protect Northeast Canyons and Seamounts

May 5, 2026 Press ReleaseEast

Rollback attempts to open biodiverse Atlantic marine national monument to commercial fishing.

Keystone Light Tar Sands Pipeline: Same Problems, Different Name

May 1, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., Canada

President Trump signed off on a key permit to construct the Bridger Pipeline Expansion project, often referred to as “Keystone Light” because it would pump huge volumes of Canada’s sludgy tar sands oil along a portion of the controversial canceled…

Congress Set to Vote on Gutting Endangered Species Protections

April 20, 2026 BackgrounderUnited StatesMichael Jasny

A House floor vote is expected as soon as next week on legislation to gut core protections for endangered species—and potentially make the recent “God Squad” decision the new normal.

Congress Moves to Open Boundary Waters to Pollution from Toxic Mining

April 16, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C.

The Senate passed House Joint Resolution 140, a dangerous measure that would strip protections from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, and open the door to toxic copper mining at the headwaters of this iconic wilderness area, threatening…

EPA proposes to weaken safeguards against coal ash pollution in groundwater, threatening community drinking water sources around the country

April 9, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., United States

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rollbacks to regulations that require coal-burning power plants to monitor and clean up their toxic coal ash that contaminates groundwater.

Minnesotans Overfill First Oversight Hearing on Polluter Capture

April 8, 2026 Press ReleaseMinnesota

For the first time in years, the Minnesota Senate held an oversight hearing on Polluter Capture – when polluting companies exert too much influence over how our Minnesota State government agencies do, or do not, enforce the law. Community members…

USDA Plan to Gut the Forest Service Threatens America's Forests, Water, and Wildfire Preparedness

April 6, 2026 ReactionWashington, D.C.

USDA Plan to Gut the Forest Service Threatens America's Forests, Water, and Wildfire Preparedness

Interior Department Plans to Recombine Offshore Agencies Split After Deepwater Horizon Disaster

April 3, 2026 ReactionWashington, D.C.

Interior Department Plans to Recombine Offshore Agencies Split After Deepwater Horizon Disaster

NRDC Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Decision to Bypass Endangered Species Protections for Gulf Oil and Gas

April 2, 2026 Press ReleaseUnited States, Louisiana

NRDC filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s use of the Endangered Species Committee, known as the God Squad, to exempt Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities from the Endangered Species Act.

Trump Administration Moves to Strip Protections from Sacred Lands Surrounding Chaco Canyon

April 2, 2026 ReactionWashington, D.C., New Mexico

Trump Administration Moves to Strip Protections from Sacred Lands Surrounding Chaco Canyon

Trump Administration Uses “God Squad” to Allow Gulf Oil and Gas Industry to Bypass Endangered Species Protections

March 31, 2026 Press ReleaseUnited States, Louisiana

Cabinet committee votes to exempt federal oil and gas program from wildlife safeguards, threatening sea turtles, manatees, Rice’s whales, and other imperiled species.

The Potomac Sewage Spill Is a Reminder that We Need to Fund Our Nation’s Wastewater Infrastructure

March 16, 2026 BackgrounderMaryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.Becky Hammer

The cost of doing nothing is far higher than the cost of fixing the problem now.

Trump Administration is Pursuing Exempting Gulf Oil and Gas Program from Endangered Species Protections

March 16, 2026 Press ReleaseUnited States, Washington, D.C.

The Trump administration announced today it will convene the Endangered Species Committee, or so-called “God Squad,” a rarely used committee that has the power to condemn an endangered species to extinction, in an attempt to permanently exempt the federal Gulf…

New Mexico Leaders Support Cutting Industrial Emissions—and the Bipartisan Work Will Continue, Despite a Veto

March 12, 2026 BackgrounderNew MexicoAlexis Mena, Dharma Santos-Santiago

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoes a landmark law that would have established four new industrial decarbonization programs.

Sempra Cancels Vista Pacífico LNG Project in the Gulf of California

March 4, 2026 Press ReleaseMexico, California

Sempra announced it will not move forward with its proposed Vista Pacífico LNG export terminal in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Senator Lee, Rep. Maloy introduce joint resolution to undo Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan

March 4, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., Utah

Today, the elected officials behind 2025’s failed public lands sell-off attempts – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) – introduced a joint resolution to undo the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan using the Congressional Review Act…

Senate Committee Advances Pearce Nomination to Lead BLM Despite Record of Supporting Public Land Sales

March 4, 2026 ReactionWashington, D.C., United States

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to advance Steve Pearce's nomination to be the next director of the Bureau of Land Management, moving a nominee with a documented record of supporting the sale and transfer of federal public…

NOAA Proposal to Weaken Vessel Speed Regulation Would Be Catastrophic to North Atlantic Right Whales

March 3, 2026 Press ReleaseUnited States, Washington, D.C.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it is considering “deregulatory action” to undo federal vessel-speed protections that protect endangered North Atlantic right whales

Court Finalizes Settlement Requiring USDA to Release Critical Climate and Forest Data

February 27, 2026 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C., United States

WASHINGTON, DC - A federal court has approved a binding settlement requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to turn over key climate risk datasets and records on mature and old-growth (MOG) forests—concluding a lawsuit brought after the agency purged thousands…