The newly established “Make America Beautiful Again Commission,” created under a Trump executive order, may sound harmless, or even beneficial, but beneath the surface, it represents a major threat to public lands. While the order uses polished language about “stewardship” and “recreation,” its real intent is to expand industrial access to previously protected areas. History shows that when Trump talks about increasing recreation like hiking and hunting, it paves the way for oil drilling, mining, and logging under the guise of “multi-use.” Millions of acres in states like Alaska, Nevada, and New Mexico have already been opened to fossil fuel and hard-rock extraction using similar language.
This order also continues a broader rollback of climate and conservation protections. By stripping safeguards from fragile ecosystems and endangered species habitats, it clears the path for activities like clearcutting forests, building new pipelines, and launching deepwater drilling operations. Wildlife corridors and vital habitats could be destroyed, accelerating the biodiversity crisis and undermining climate resilience efforts.
Even the commission’s focus on outdoor recreation raises red flags. While promoting activities like hiking and biking sounds positive, it’s a front for justifying new roads, motorized vehicle access, and infrastructure development that can fracture ecosystems and invite more commercial exploitation. The use of public access rhetoric to dilute conservation efforts is a form of greenwashing, one that prioritizes convenience and profit over ecological health.
Perhaps most concerning is the power structure of the commission itself. Led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is closely aligned with the fossil fuel industry, the body centralizes land-use decisions in pro-development hands. This undermines scientific input, public transparency, and environmental oversight especially since these decisions will largely be made behind closed doors.
In short, despite its “patriotic” title, the Make America Beautiful Again Commission prioritizes economic development over environmental stewardship. It represents a stark shift away from conservation and could lead to irreversible damage to some of the last intact wilderness areas in the U.S. If you care about clean water, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, or Indigenous land rights, this executive order should be a major concern. It reframes our shared natural heritage as little more than a commercial asset, and that’s a dangerous precedent!
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