Parks Group Responds to Order Expanding Mining on Public Lands, Risking National Parks

Washington— Yesterday, President Trump issued an executive order to rapidly expand mining on public lands by expediting permitting approvals and expanding the list of critical minerals. This order puts national parks and surrounding landscapes directly in the crosshairs of harmful and unchecked mining development.

According to NPCA’s analysis, over 120,000 active mining claims exist within 30 miles of national parks and monuments, meaning this directive to expand access to industrial mining could dramatically escalate risks to our national parks, watersheds, wildlife connectivity, and gateway communities.

Statement from Charlie Olsen, Energy and Public Lands Policy Manager at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“National parks and their surrounding landscapes are not industrial mining zones. They are cherished landscapes that belong to all Americans, meant to be protected from rushed and reckless energy development.

“This executive order aggressively expands mining on public lands, promoting new mining dangerously close to park boundaries. Accelerating approvals without thorough environmental review risks clean water and intact wildlife habitat, undermining the very landscapes millions of visitors experience each year.

“Millions of acres of public lands across the West are already open to mineral exploration, including over 10 million acres under active claims, making this rapid expansion unnecessary and arbitrary. National parks like Canyonlands are already facing mining development at odds with a thriving outdoor recreation economy. Across the Colorado Plateau, a region renowned for its spectacular landscapes and home to more than a dozen national parks, abandoned mines threaten delicate ecosystems and the cultural heritage these parks were created to protect. Even the world-renowned Grand Canyon suffers from permanently contaminated water caused by historic uranium mining.

“Outdated mining laws allow companies to stake claims with minimal oversight, leaving taxpayers responsible for costly cleanup of abandoned mines and scarred landscapes. Accelerating mining approvals and listing gold and copper as critical minerals, as outlined in this new order, further jeopardizes the thorough environmental review needed to prevent irreversible damage.

“National parks are our common ground. We urge the Department of the Interior to uphold its responsibility to protect park landscapes from the harmful impacts of mining and ensure these exceptional places remain for future generations to experience and enjoy.”

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.