Project 2025 Tracker / What’s done, what’s next

Section 3 · The General Welfare

16 Department of the Interior

517–544 · William Perry Pendley

  • 15 done
  • 26 partially done
  • 12 attempted
  • 28 not started

Major recommendations (10)

What has happened

The Mandate said

“Meaningful reform of the Endangered Species Act requires that Congress take action to restore its original purpose and end its use to seize private property, prevent economic development, and interfere with the rights of states over their wildlife populations.”

What happened

Partially done

Part of the ask is delivered, by rule rather than by statute: the regulations that carried the ESA onto private land and into development decisions are being stripped out. The regulatory definition of 'harm' was rescinded (published 2026-07-14, effective 2026-09-14), and on 2026-07-21 FWS finalized the critical-habitat designation rule (economic and national-security impacts weighed; effective 2026-08-20) and removed the blanket rule for newly listed threatened species (effective 2026-08-20). In Congress, H.R. 1897 (ESA Amendments Act of 2025) was reported by Natural Resources on 2026-03-24 (H. Rept. 119-568) and given a rule on 2026-04-20 but has not passed the House. The statute is unchanged.

The Mandate said

“Monuments in Maine and Oregon, for example, should have been adjusted downward given the finding of Secretary Ryan Zinke’s review that they were improperly designated. The new Administration’s review will permit a fresh look at past monument decrees and new ones by President Biden.”

What happened

Partially done

Two proclamations cut Bears Ears National Monument from about 1.36 million acres to 121,096 acres (two units; the Bears Ears Commission ended) and Grand Staircase-Escalante from about 1.87 million to 181,541 acres — deeper than the 2017 reductions Biden had reversed in 2021. The Maine (Katahdin Woods and Waters) and Oregon (Cascade-Siskiyou) monuments the Mandate names were not modified, and Biden's 2025 California monuments stand.

The Mandate said

“Comply with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to establish a competitive leasing and development program in the Coastal Plain, an area of Alaska that was set aside by Congress specifically for future oil and gas exploration and development.”

What happened

Done

BLM held the 2026 Coastal Plain lease sale, the first under Public Law 119-21: 58 tracts (688,829 acres) offered, bids on five tracts (72,490 acres) from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and Hex Energy LLC, high bids totalling $3,741,528. A competitive leasing program is in operation; the 2025 sale (January 10, 2025) had drawn no bids.

The Mandate said

“End federal mandates and subsidies of electric vehicles.”

What happened

Done

EPA's final rule rescinded the 2009 greenhouse-gas endangerment finding and repealed all federal motor-vehicle GHG emission standards (effective 2026-04-20), ending the federal regulatory driver for EV sales; NHTSA had reset CAFE enforcement in June 2025 and proposed lower standards in December 2025. Petitions for review are pending in the D.C. Circuit; no stay found.

The Mandate said

“Meanwhile, the new Administration should call upon Congress to reform NEPA to meet its original goal. Consideration should be given, for example, to eliminating judicial review of the adequacy of NEPA documents or the rectitude of NEPA decisions.”

What happened

Attempted

The House passed H.R. 4776, the SPEED Act (Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development), 221–196. It amends NEPA and limits judicial review of NEPA cases — shorter filing windows and remedies — but does not eliminate review. Received in the Senate and referred to Environment and Public Works, where it sits; companion S. 3224 was introduced 2025-11-19.

Still to come

Executive action 24

  1. 523 Abandon the leasing withdrawal in Colorado's Thompson Divide Notable Not started
  2. 524 Move BLM headquarters back to the American West Notable Not started
  3. 530 Approve the Willow project and expand it to five drilling pads Notable Not started
  4. 531 Issue a secretarial order declaring Alaska's navigable waters state-owned Notable Not started
  5. 532 Shrink the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon Notable Not started
  6. 534 Delist the grizzly bear in the Yellowstone and Continental Divide ecosystems Notable Not started
  7. 534 Cede greater sage-grouse jurisdiction to western states Notable Not started
  8. 534 End Fish and Wildlife Service use of ESA Section 10(j) experimental populations Notable Not started
  9. 522 Reinstate SO 3351, Strengthening Interior's Energy Portfolio Minor Not started
  10. 522 Reinstate SO 3358, Executive Committee for Expedited Permitting Minor Not started
  11. 522 Reinstate SO 3360 rescinding authorities inconsistent with SO 3349 Minor Not started
  12. 522 Reinstate SO 3385, Enforcement Priorities Minor Not started
  13. 523 Hold regional offices to state-average permit processing times Minor Not started
  14. 527 Put all BLM law enforcement officers in a law enforcement chain of command Minor Not started
  15. 532 Defend monument reductions to the Supreme Court Minor Not started

and 9 more →

Needs Congress 4

  1. 532 Repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906 Major Not started
  2. 522 Enact the Lease Now Act and ONSHORE Act Notable Not started
  3. 529 Authorize BLM to humanely dispose of surplus wild horses and burros Notable Not started
  4. 538 Reauthorize the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations Notable Not started

All recommendations in this chapter

Every recommendation this chapter is the home of, in printed-page order.

  1. 521 Reinstate the Trump-era Energy Dominance Agenda at Interior Partially done
  2. 521 Rescind Secretarial Order 3398 Attempted
  3. 521 Review all agency actions taken in compliance with SO 3398 Partially done
  4. 522 Reinstate SO 3348 on the federal coal moratorium Partially done
  5. 522 Reinstate SO 3349, American Energy Independence Partially done
  6. 522 Reinstate SO 3350, America-First Offshore Energy Strategy Partially done
  7. 522 Reinstate SO 3351, Strengthening Interior's Energy Portfolio Not started
  8. 522 Reinstate SO 3352, National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska Done
  9. 522 Reinstate SO 3354 on onshore oil, gas, and solid mineral leasing Partially done
  10. 522 Reinstate SO 3355 streamlining NEPA reviews Partially done
  11. 522 Reinstate SO 3358, Executive Committee for Expedited Permitting Not started
  12. 522 Reinstate SO 3360 rescinding authorities inconsistent with SO 3349 Not started
  13. 522 Reinstate SO 3380 on public notice of publication costs Done
  14. 522 Reinstate SO 3385, Enforcement Priorities Not started
  15. 522 Reinstate SO 3389 on National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 reviews Partially done
  16. 522 Reinstate quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales in all producing states Partially done
  17. 522 Enact the Lease Now Act and ONSHORE Act Needs Congress Not started
  18. 523 Hold offshore lease sales to the maximum under the 2023–2028 program Partially done
  19. 523 Issue a new five-year offshore leasing plan Attempted
  20. 523 Amend OCSLA to replace five-year plans with rolling lease sales Needs Congress Partially done
  21. 523 Review resource management plans and strip out 30 by 30 decisions Partially done
  22. 523 Cap rents, royalty rates, and bonding at Inflation Reduction Act levels Partially done
  23. 523 Establish oil and gas leasing in the ANWR Coastal Plain (Section 1002 Area) Done
  24. 523 Conclude the coal leasing review and restart the federal coal program Done
  25. 523 Abandon the leasing withdrawal in Colorado's Thompson Divide Not started
  26. 523 Abandon the 10-mile leasing buffer around Chaco Culture park Attempted
  27. 523 Abandon the Boundary Waters mineral withdrawal in Minnesota Done
  28. 523 Revisit leases and permits in the withdrawn energy and mineral areas Partially done
  29. 523 Hold regional offices to state-average permit processing times Not started
  30. 524 Rescind the Biden BLM waste prevention rule and reinstate the Trump rule Attempted
  31. 524 Reinstate the Trump ESA critical habitat rules Partially done
  32. 524 Reinstate the Trump Migratory Bird Treaty Act rule Partially done
  33. 524 Approve the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Done
  34. 524 Move BLM headquarters back to the American West Not started
  35. 527 Put all BLM law enforcement officers in a law enforcement chain of command Not started
  36. 529 Authorize BLM to humanely dispose of surplus wild horses and burros Needs Congress Not started
  37. 530 Lift BLM Public Land Orders blocking Alaska and Alaska Native land selections Partially done
  38. 530 Revoke Public Land Order 5150 Partially done
  39. 530 Revoke all remaining BLM Public Land Orders over 50 years old Partially done
  40. 530 Reinstate the 2020 ANWR EIS and lift the lease suspension Done
  41. 530 Approve the Willow project and expand it to five drilling pads Not started
  42. 530 Approve the Ambler Road Project in Alaska Done
  43. 531 Revoke NPS and FWS predator control and bear baiting rules in Alaska Attempted
  44. 531 Cede fish and game management on Alaska federal lands to the state Attempted
  45. 531 Issue a secretarial order declaring Alaska's navigable waters state-owned Not started
  46. 531 Reinstate the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule for the Tongass National Forest Attempted
  47. 531 Rescind Executive Order 14008 (30 by 30 plan / America the Beautiful) Done
  48. 532 Restore state and local approval before Land and Water Conservation Fund buys Done
  49. 532 Review and shrink national monuments, including those in Maine and Oregon Partially done
  50. 532 Defend monument reductions to the Supreme Court Not started
  51. 532 Repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906 Needs Congress Not started
  52. 532 Shrink the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon Not started
  53. 533 Manage the O&C lands for permanent forest production and timber sales Attempted
  54. 533 Reinstate Trump-era secretarial orders limiting NEPA document length and cost Done
  55. 533 Amend NEPA to eliminate judicial review of NEPA documents Needs Congress Attempted
  56. 533 Reinstate the DOI litigation settlement transparency policy Done
  57. 533 Amend the Endangered Species Act to restore its original purpose Needs Congress Partially done
  58. 534 Delist the grizzly bear in the Yellowstone and Continental Divide ecosystems Not started
  59. 534 Delist the gray wolf in the lower 48 states Attempted
  60. 534 Cede greater sage-grouse jurisdiction to western states Not started
  61. 534 End Fish and Wildlife Service use of ESA Section 10(j) experimental populations Not started
  62. 534 Create a conservation triage program at the Fish and Wildlife Service Not started
  63. 534 Publish all data used in Endangered Species Act decisions Attempted
  64. 534 Abolish the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey Attempted
  65. 534 Rebuild the ESA program for independent, Information Quality Act-compliant decisions Partially done
  66. 535 Relocate the Office of Surface Mining headquarters to Pittsburgh Not started
  67. 535 Cut the number of federal coal-reclamation field inspectors Not started
  68. 535 Open the OSM Training Program to coal company employees Not started
  69. 535 Revise the Applicant Violator System to allow extenuating circumstances Not started
  70. 535 Keep the OSM "Ten-Day Notice" rule in place Done
  71. 535 Preserve OSM Directive INE-26 on approximate original contour Done
  72. 535 Develop additional western water storage capacity Partially done
  73. 536 Consolidate the federal water working groups Not started
  74. 536 Implement the Federal Action Plan for Improving Forecasts of Water Availability Not started
  75. 536 Align the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act with federal credit rules Not started
  76. 536 Reinstate the Presidential Memorandum on water supply in the West Partially done
  77. 537 Facilitate fossil fuel and mineral development on Indian lands Partially done
  78. 537 End federal mandates and subsidies for electric vehicles Needs Congress Done
  79. 537 Restore tribal authority to enforce environmental regulation on tribal lands Not started
  80. 537 Secure the border to protect tribal lands Partially done
  81. 538 Reauthorize the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations Needs Congress Not started

Also cited in this chapter

Recommendations whose home is another chapter but which this chapter repeats.

  1. Reinstate the 2020 Trump CEQ NEPA regulations Partially done
  2. Reinstate Schedule F (Executive Order 13957) Done