Center for American Progress

President Trump Is Sacrificing Our Public Lands Legacy
In the News

President Trump Is Sacrificing Our Public Lands Legacy

Jim Lyons writes about how President Trump is undoing the United States' commitment to its public lands.

Our national legacy of a million square miles of publicly owned lands is what makes America unique, but under President Donald Trump that legacy is being sacrificed.

America’s public lands exist today as a gift to us and to future generations largely owing to the foresight and determination of conservation leaders over the past century. During Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, from 1901-1909, he took the lead, establishing approximately 230 million acres of national forests and parks, wildlife reserves and 18 national monuments. Succeeding presidents have added to his accomplishment, yet under the Trump administration we are literally losing ground.

The above excerpt was originally published in High Country News. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Jim Lyons

Senior Fellow