Inside the '2-pronged judicial and executive attack plan' that would 'gut' a Teddy Roosevelt-era act

19 July 2024

Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's 900-page blueprint for a second Trump Administration, has drawn scathing criticism from Democrats for its wide range of far-right proposals on everything from abortion rights to the environment to public education. In response to all that bad publicity, 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 — although many Democrats have responded that the proposals came from Trump's allies.

Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser for Trump's campaign, obviously views Project 2025 as a liability for the former President. At the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, LaCivita told The Hill, "These people do not speak for him. They do not speak for the campaign. We're the ones putting out policy. In a perfect world, from their perspective, they would love to drive the issue set. They don't get to do that."

One part of Project 2025 that hasn't been receiving as much scrutiny is how Project 2025 could affect public lands and national monuments if Trump wins in November.

In a July 15 post for BackCountyHunter.org, contributor Kaden McArthur warns that "many hunters and anglers may not realize" the "vast implications" that Project 2025 "would have for the conservation of our nation's public lands and waters."

McArthur explains, "Authored by William Perry Pendley, the former Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a host of these recommendations for the Department of the Interior would be detrimental to the future of these cherished public resources, and those who rely on them for the pursuit of their outdoor traditions."

According to Outside's Wes Siler, Project 2025 has major implications for "public lands management" and would "gut" the Antiquities Act of 1906 — which was signed into law by President Teddy Roosevelt 118 years ago.

In a recent article, Siler warned that Project 2025, by undermining the Antiquities Act, would "allow the government to turn some of our most scenic and important public lands over to energy extraction interests."

"The plan involves a two-pronged judicial and executive attack," Siler explained. "The first will involve bringing a case in front of the Supreme Court designed to weaken the use of the Antiquities Act to preserve large swaths of land. The second would involve placing high ranking appointees in the Department of Interior, like Ryan Zinke and William Perry Pendley under the first Trump presidency, who would be amenable to leasing or selling large portions of public lands to energy companies."

Siler added, "You may be wondering, what is the Antiquities Act? The Act was signed on June 8, 1906, granting presidents the power to protect cultural or natural resources of special historic or scientific interest by declaring them national monuments. The federal government manages 640 million acres of public land on your behalf, and for over a century, presidents have added significant levels of protection to some of the most important parts of that land using the Antiquities Act."

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