Pulse of the Land - 10/29/2025
A weekly brief for conservation and cleaner energy
Key Takeaways This Week
Ambler Road permits reinstated
Sen. Mike Lee is still trying to take more control of public lands.
The State of Public Lands and Energy Relationship
Ambler Road permits reinstated.
October 24 - Interior reissued the 50-year federal rights-of-way and reinstated the Army Corps permit for the 211-mile Ambler mining road across BLM/NPS lands; AIDEA executed the permits on Oct 24. This revives a flagship minerals-vs-conservation test in Northwest Alaska and signals faster movement on critical-minerals access on national lands.
National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska oil & gas leasing restarts
October 22 - BLM issued a Call for Nominations for a National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska lease sale (first since 2019). The 30-day window runs through Nov 21, 2025. Together with Ambler, this frames an aggressive Alaska energy posture on federal estate.
Judge freezes shutdown layoffs (incl. Interior/NPS)
October 28 - A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction extending the block on mass layoffs during the shutdown—directly affecting thousands of federal workers across agencies that manage parks, refuges, and BLM lands. Expect slower permitting, thinner staffing, and more closures until funding is resolved.
Government Spotlight Public Lands
Patrol in the Backcountry? DHS, ICE, and DOD in Wilderness Border Zones
October 2 - Sen. Mike Lee’s Border Lands Conservation Act (introduced Oct 2) would rewrite how border-zone public lands are managed. It orders Interior and the Forest Service to install and maintain “navigable” roads along both borders. It amends the Wilderness Act to let DHS operate inside designated wilderness. Build roads, barriers, and other “tactical infrastructure.” It guarantees those roads to DHS and the Department of Defense. It forbids using conservation lands to house migrants. Translation: actions wilderness law normally blocks, new roads, motorized access, aircraft, surveillance gear, could be authorized wherever border enforcement says it’s needed.
“If the bill gets anywhere, the amount of wilderness impacted in these regions could account for almost triple the acreage of Lee’s budget reconciliation selloff proposal. In the Lower 48, a known total of 3,318,773 acres across Washington, Minnesota, California, and Arizona would be impacted. Alaska would provide an additional 6,242,479 acres across five wilderness areas.” - Katie Hill (Meateater - Public Lands and Water)
MeatEater frames this as a consequential shift for hunters and anglers who rely on roadless backcountry. Supporters see tighter security and standardized access. Critics see a carve-out that weakens bedrock protections and changes the field experience, from the Southwest deserts to the Boundary Waters. Coverage ramped up this week as groups map which units sit inside the 100-mile bands and watch for committee action.
Utah bills to allow OHVs on NPS roads.
October 27 - Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. John Curtis introduced bills to open paved/dirt roads to off-highway vehicles in Capitol Reef National Park (and potentially others), elevating a fresh state–federal access flashpoint.
Clean Energy in the News
Meta signs 600 MW Texas solar PPA with ENGIE
October 27 - Meta and Engie announced a 600-megawatt solar power-purchase agreement for the Swenson Ranch project in Texas, pushing their Texas portfolio beyond 1.3 gigawatts and reinforcing corporate demand for new builds.
Corporate clean-power contract prices rise again.
LevelTen reports that in the third quarter, average prices in North America increased about four percent for solar contracts and about five percent for wind contracts. Policy uncertainty, higher financing costs, and tight supply chains are pushing prices up and affecting where projects get built.
New federal energy data.
October 28 - The Energy Information Administration published the October 2025 Monthly Energy Review. Useful context on United States generation, fuel mix, and consumption trends as you prepare this week’s charts.
Emissions ticked up YTD. Through January–July 2025, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions totaled 2,875 million metric tons, up from 2,790 in the same period of 2024.
July snapshot by source. In July 2025, emissions broke down as petroleum 195, natural gas 148, coal 87 (million metric tons). Petroleum remains the biggest driver.
Thank you for reading! I highlight threats to public lands and the energy industry’s impact. I believe clean energy is the future, and ALL energy projects should prioritize private land first to keep wild places wild. When energy extraction is needed on public lands all projects must restore the land after extraction. Public lands are unique and once lost, they’re gone forever.