Trump Slashes Protections, Orders Logging on Federal Public Lands
Order threatens climate, wildlife, water quality and outdoor recreation
SANTA FE – On March 1, President Trump issued an executive order, the latest in an unprecedented stream of such orders, directing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expedite timber sales on federal public lands. The order claims a national and economic emergency due to foreign timber and lumber imports. That claimed emergency is the basis for implementing emergency Endangered Species Act (ESA) provisions and pushing categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that bypass standard reviews and public comments.
In response, CVNM Chief Executive Officer Demis Foster issued the following statement:
“On Friday, March 7, people in New Mexico will hold a Rally for Public Lands at noon outside the State legislature. This rally is the latest of many public gatherings where people have come together to decry President Trump’s devastating actions, which will have a disproportionate impact on New Mexico. In fact, according to the 2025 Conservation in the West poll, 87% of New Mexicans believe decisions about public lands and wildlife should be made by scientists and researchers, and 69% oppose reduced protections for endangered species.
Trump seems to view all land as if he were the Real Estate Agent in Chief, with foreign and domestic policies made in terms of acquisitions: Canada, Greenland, Panama, Gaza, Ukrainian minerals, and sales: federal office buildings, and now, all federal public lands. These actions, coupled with mass firings of federal staff dedicated to protecting our lands, puts lands and wildlife habitat in jeopardy. As New Mexicans, we know firsthand that our lands are vital to our quality of life, health, and natural heritage. It is where we fish, hunt, recreate, and practice cultural and spiritual traditions. It also brings in billions of dollars in annual revenue.
Americans across all parties have expressed overwhelming support for decades for protecting public lands and limiting extractive industry activity on those lands. Public lands access surged during the Covid pandemic and has continued to provide Americans with space for recreation, reflection, and community. We call on state and federal leaders to do all they can to reverse the firing of federal staff, and protect our lands and endangered species from irreversible damage.” – Demis Foster, CVNM Chief Executive Officer
BACKGROUND
Trump appointed a former lobbyist for the timber industry to be the head of the USFS. The industry has long complained about protections of federal forests, including old-growth forests, and has called for a doubling of U.S. logging on federal public lands. Trump also reinvigorated the little used Endangered Species Committee (known as the “God Squad” for its role in deciding which species received protection or not). It earlier was tasked with clearing the way for expanded oil and gas leasing and drilling on federal public lands and will now do the same for logging.
Greatly expanding logging on federal public lands will have a wide range of impacts. Logging roads and traffic will drive wildlife away and logging will destroy habitat and disrupt critical wildlife corridors. Logging and roads will increase flash flooding and sediment loading in streams from runoff. Outdoor recreation will suffer from impacts to fish and wildlife habitat and loss of aesthetic values due to tree and wildlife removal and noise and dust from logging. Despite claims that logging will lower wildfire risk, widespread logging will change microclimates, creating hotter and drier conditions, and removal of fire-resistant species will increase the risk of fast-spreading wildfires. At the same time, reduced USFS and other firefighters due to indiscriminate federal worker firings will reduce the ability to respond quickly and in sufficient numbers to handle large-scale fast-burning wildfires.
Many experts believe this latest executive order, as with others preceding it, is illegal in removing or limiting ESA and NEPA processes; the order itself says it must comply with existing law. Some see it as another example of Trump signaling to special interests rather than laying out a proposal that is broadly implementable. 2000 USFS staff have been fired, likely limiting the agency’s ability to rapidly approve timber sales. As with many other executive orders released in the last six weeks, Congress is the actual source of authority and recent court decisions, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, are showing the limit of Trump pursuing unilateral action.
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CVNM is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization connecting the people of New Mexico to their political power to protect our air, land, water, wildlife and communities for a healthy Land of Enchantment. CVNM does this by mobilizing voters, winning elections, holding elected officials accountable and advancing responsible public policies.