President Trump, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), sent a directive to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cut spending on wind and solar renewables and land acquisition for the remaining fiscal 2025 expenditures that run through September 30th.
This falls in line with executive and secretarial orders by the Trump administration intended to put an end to wind and solar development on national public lands, but now they are calling for curtailing land acquisitions till the end of the year. President Trump’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for deep cuts to various land management programs at BLM, including those responsible for national monuments and wildlife habitat.
In the administration’s fiscal 2026 budget in brief issued in June, they are using $276.1 million designated for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to divert to maintenance needs.
On page 13 of the report, it states:
“The LWCF is another tool the Administration is using to address the backlog of deferred maintenance. Instead of adding more land and infrastructure to the Federal Government’s already bloated real property portfolio, the Budget proposes to repurpose $276.1 million for a new deferred maintenance program within LWCF, which can be used by BLM, NPS, and FWS to address our maintenance needs, with additional funding provided separately for the USDA FS (Forest Service). LWCF will continue to fund grants to States that support locally led outdoor recreation.”
The report also states on page 17 under the heading “Reducing Costs for Hardworking Americans:”
“America also needs more affordable housing, and the Federal Government can make it happen by making Federal land available to build affordable housing stock. Together, Interior and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) created a Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing to increase the housing supply and decrease costs for millions of Americans. Under this agreement, HUD will pinpoint areas where housing needs are most pressing and guide the process by working with State, Tribal, and local leaders, who know their communities best. Interior will identify locations that can support homes while carefully considering the environmental impact and land-use restrictions. Working together, our Departments will take inventory of underused Federal properties, transfer or lease them to States or localities to address housing needs, and support the infrastructure required to make development viable—all while ensuring affordability remains at the core of the mission.”
In July, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) launched an interactive map that identifies lands deemed eligible for potential sale by the Bureau of Land Management. This includes nearly 6.1 million acres for potential sale and their locations.
All of these proposals by the Trump administration will need to be resolved in the fiscal 2026 budget, which will surely lead to tremendous opposition by environmental organizations and many members of Congress on both sides of the aisle reminiscent of Senator Lee’s proposal in reconciliation to sell off small portions of federal lands for housing.
For more information, go to Politico’s E&E News story here.
