Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum being sworn into a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Newly confirmed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has directed federal officials to review and possibly revise all national monuments and mineral leasing withdrawals in the U.S., a move critics say could gut protections for Nevada’s most scenic landscapes.
The secretarial order issued Monday by the Department of the Interior calls for federal land managers to “suspend, revise, or rescind” a series of conservation policies, including oil, mining, and gas bans in sensitive locations. Burgum gave agency officials until Feb. 18 to submit an action plan on how to comply with his order…