Trump Administration Guts Public Comments for Federal Projects

The Trump administration has gutted the National Environmental Policy Act by restricting the public’s ability to participate in government decision-making and understand how our tax dollars are being spent. For decades, the right to know about and participate in public review processes for projects that affect habitats and public lands has been crucial for protecting wildlife in the U.S. This reckless rollback will allow for-profit industries to run rampant over our nation’s lands and wildlife.

“Congress enacted NEPA to give the American public a voice in projects affecting their communities and our nation’s irreplaceable public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests,” said Mike Senatore, senior vice president of conservation programs at Defenders of Wildlife. “Now the administration is robbing the public of that right so businesses and billionaires can exploit communities and public lands under cover of darkness. Without the ability to know about or comment on federal land projects, people will see their most cherished wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation areas bulldozed without warning.”

The administration’s proposed changes will:

• Eliminate the requirement for federal land management agencies to inform Americans about most proposed projects and permits.
• Eliminate required opportunities for Americans to participate meaningfully in government decision-making, including for projects that can be devastating for wildlife and endangered species such as oil and gas drilling and roadbuilding.
• Eliminate requirements for federal agencies to consider and meaningfully respond to public comments to explain the human and environmental effects of their decisions.
• Limit the scope of environmental effects that federal agencies must consider when conducting an environmental analysis of proposed projects.