Public Lands & Waters Defense

Public Lands & Waters Defense

Friends of the Earth’s Public Lands campaign seeks to halt oil and gas exploitation of our public lands and put the U.S. on the path towards a just transition that protects workers and communities and ends our dependence on fossil fuels.

The extraction and burning of fossil fuels from public lands and waters account for nearly a quarter of U.S. climate emissions. At the very moment when we needed decisive action to protect our wild places and climate for future generations, the Trump Administration held a four year fire sale to turn as much of our public lands over to the oil and gas industry as possible.

But there is hope. President Joe Biden made bold campaign promises to halt new fossil fuel leasing on federal lands and waters, and to enact a suite of executive actions through the Department of Interior that would protect communities and the environment. Seven days into his term, Biden took an important first step by issuing a new Executive Order to pause oil and gas leasing and review the entire leasing program.

The pushback from Big Oil and oily members of Congress was swift and riddled with lies. We need your help to show there is strong support to stop the fossil fuel industry from pillaging our public lands and ensure President Biden makes good on his promise to prioritize people over corporate interests.

  • Climate & Energy Justice Save our public lands from oil and gas drilling!
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  • Sustainable Economic Systems Stop your tax dollars from funding fossil fuel projects overseas
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Latest News See All
Environmental, Gulf Groups React to API Lawsuit Targeting Five-Year Drilling Plan; Seek Stronger Protections for Gulf of Mexico

Environmental and Gulf-based groups filed a legal challenge today to hold the Interior Department accountable for failing to adequately consider the public health impacts on frontline communities in its final Five-Year Program.

Alaska Native Tribes, Southeast Alaska Businesses and Forest Advocates Defend Tongass National Forest’s Roadless Rule

A broad coalition of forest advocates is seeking to defend last year’s reinstatement of National Roadless Rule protections across the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska through several legal challenges.

Alaska District Court Rules Willow Oil Project Can Proceed; Conservation Groups Plan To File Appeal

Environmental groups intend to challenge today’s federal court ruling that the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska’s Western Arctic can proceed.

Latest Blog Posts See All
The Climate & Agriculture provisions of the IRA
The Climate & Agriculture provisions of the IRA

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is many things at once. The good and the bad all need to be considered together.

Big Oil’s Public Lands and Water Leases Shell Game
Big Oil’s Public Lands and Water Leases Shell Game

President Biden is about to break his promise to end new lease sales in a big way, opening 80 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to drilling

Undoing the damage Pruitt and Zinke did to our environment
Undoing the damage Pruitt and Zinke did to our environment

Scott Pruitt and Ryan Zinke seemingly handed the EPA and DOI over to corporate polluters. They debased these agencies and endangered public health. Americans are relying on the Democrats to stand up, stop these destructive actions and protect people and the planet.

Impact Stories See All
Preserving Our Public Lands
Preserving Our Public Lands

Preserving public lands and waters protects precious history and the livelihoods of so many, especially Indigenous communities.

Stopping Fossil Fuel Drilling of Public Lands and Waters
Stopping Fossil Fuel Drilling of Public Lands and Waters

Along with nearly 600 other groups, we urged Biden to make good on his campaign promise and issue an executive order to halt new fossil fuel leasing as part of his climate agenda.

Together We Stopped Ryan Zinke
Together We Stopped Ryan Zinke

Ryan Zinke has now followed in the footsteps of former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt: leaving under the weight of his accumulating misdeeds.

Resources See All
  • Biden Climate Ambition letter
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  • Interior Letter on Post-IRA Leasing
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  • Social Cost of Carbon From Federal Oil and Gas Development
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