This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking the Senate’s passage of a Congressional Review Act resolution to enable mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Forest Service’s proposed headquarters relocation to Salt Lake City, the Conservation Reserve Program’s final deadline for 2026 offers, evidence of Trump administration coordination with Sen. Mike Lee’s federal land sell-off proposal, the Confluence of States’ 2025 Outdoor Report highlighting the $1.3 trillion economic value of outdoor recreation, a Gallup survey showing widespread concern about environmental protection, and a lawsuit challenging the administration’s use of the “God Squad” to grant broad exemptions from the Endangered Species Act for Gulf oil and gas leasing. From federal public lands management to conservation policy, these stories highlight the accelerating pace of regulatory rollbacks and their implications for American wilderness and wildlife.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for context, analysis, and what to watch next.

Senate Passes CRA Resolution to Permit Mining in Boundary Waters Headwaters

By a vote of 50–49, the Senate approved a Congressional Review Act resolution that clears the way for mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, America’s most visited wilderness area. The action overturned a longstanding public lands decision made with local community input. While two Republicans—Thom Tillis and Susan Collins—voted with all Democrats against the measure, environmental advocates including Save the Boundary Waters mobilized substantial opposition to the proposal.

Forest Service Defends Headquarters Relocation to Salt Lake City Amid Bipartisan Criticism

Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz appeared before the House Appropriations Committee’s Interior Subcommittee to defend the administration’s budget proposal, which includes a plan to relocate the agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City and shutter dozens of regional offices and research centers. Democrats raised particular concerns about the loss of personnel and specialized expertise following the reorganization, while both parties questioned the administration’s proposal to consolidate intra-agency wildfire offices.

USDA Conservation Reserve Program Deadline Today for 2026 Enrollments

April 17th marks the final day to submit offers through the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program, which provides annual rental payments to landowners who convert environmentally sensitive cropland into conserved habitat such as native grasses, trees, and wetlands. With only 1.9 million acres available for 2026 enrollments, the competitive bid process supports wildlife habitat protection, soil health, and water quality improvements over 10–15 year contracts, benefiting species including bees, birds, and deer.

Trump Administration Coordinated with Sen. Lee on Federal Land Sell-Off Strategy

According to reporting by Public Domain’s Chris D’Angelo, the Trump administration’s Interior Department shared research with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and helped craft talking points that Sen. Mike Lee used to pitch his controversial proposal to force a sell-off of up to 3.2 million acres of federal public lands across the West. Lee introduced the measure in June as a budget amendment, framing it as a solution to America’s housing shortage. The Interior Department launched a separate task force to study selling 400,000 acres of federal land for development—a precedent many view as laying groundwork for broader privatization efforts.

Outdoor Recreation Economy Reaches $1.3 Trillion, Surpassing Multiple Traditional Industries

The Confluence of States, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. states focused on outdoor recreation, conservation, and rural economic development, released its 2025 Outdoor Report showing the outdoor recreation sector generates $1.3 trillion in economic output annually—exceeding mining, utilities, farming and ranching, and chemical products manufacturing. The report documents 5.2 million quality jobs in the sector and shows 181 million Americans participated in at least one outdoor activity in the past year. With 21 states now signed onto the Confluence Accords, the coalition emphasizes the expanding recognition of outdoor recreation’s role in individual, community, and economic wellbeing.

Over 60% of Americans Say Government Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Environment

A Gallup poll conducted last month found that more than 60% of respondents believe the government is not adequately protecting the environment, following a year in which the Trump administration has curtailed clean energy projects, supported fossil fuel expansion, and rolled back environmental protections. Earlier last month, the EPA overturned the 2009 Endangerment Finding that authorized the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles. The survey of 1,000 Americans also revealed that half of respondents expressed significant concern about river, lake, and reservoir pollution—a finding that carries particular weight given the Senate’s vote this week to enable mining in the Boundary Waters.

Environmental Groups Sue Over God Squad Exemptions for Gulf Oil and Gas Leasing

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the National Wildlife Federation, Florida Wildlife Federation, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Texas Conservation Association, and National Parks Conservation Association, filed suit against the Trump administration over its use of the so-called “God Squad” to grant broad exemptions from the Endangered Species Act for all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leasing and production. The exemptions eliminate regulatory and mitigation measures that have protected wildlife for decades while permitting energy development. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s authority to sidestep Endangered Species Act safeguards through vague national security claims without evidence or proper legal findings—a precedent some legal experts warn could extend far beyond the Gulf to other critical habitats.

We spoke with Catherine Wannamaker of the SELC:

Historically the oil industry and these animals and the Endangered Species Act have coexisted. …It’s a false dilemma that they’re in conflict for decades. We’ve had oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and compliance with the Endangered Species Act, and it has worked to…enact mitigation measures that were very important. And so the system has been working. The idea that it isn’t working just came out of nowhere.

Next Week

That’s our report for April 17, 2026.

Details about this evening’s Seattle Community Meeting on Roadless Forests may be found at this link.

We’ll be back next week with more land stories that matter.

Until then — Act Up and Run Wild.

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