WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior this past week announced major actions spanning energy revenues, national park access, Western water infrastructure and border-region public land security, underscoring a broad push by the Trump administration to expand domestic energy production, modernize federal recreation, accelerate major construction projects and harden public lands along the southern border.
Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue reported $14.61 billion in fiscal year 2025 disbursements from energy production on federal and tribal lands and offshore areas — the fifth-largest total since 1982. The revenues, distributed to states, tribes and federal programs, fund public infrastructure, education, conservation, reclamation and historic preservation.
The department said the decline from last year reflects lower commodity prices but credited Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, and provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with reducing regulatory burdens and boosting activity on public lands. Disbursement totals included $5.01 billion to the U.S. Treasury, $4.07 billion to 34 states and $1 billion to tribes and individual Indian mineral owners.
Interior also announced the most significant modernization of national park access in decades. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, America the Beautiful annual, military, senior, fourth-grade and access passes will be available in fully digital form through Recreation.gov, enabling instant purchase, mobile storage and linked physical cards. Redesigned graphics honoring U.S. landscapes and heritage will appear on all pass formats.
A new pricing structure will differentiate between residents and nonresidents. U.S. residents will continue to pay $80 for an annual pass, while nonresidents will pay $250. At 11 high-traffic parks, nonresident visitors without an annual pass will pay $100 per person in addition to standard entry fees. The department also designated resident-only fee-free days aligned with major patriotic and historical observances in 2026 and expanded motorcycle access by allowing two motorcycles per pass.
“These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said.
The Department issued Secretary’s Order 3446, directing the Bureau of Reclamation to streamline federally funded construction projects across 17 Western states. The order allows qualified local water and power partners to manage parts of the procurement process — a shift Interior officials say will cut costs, speed project delivery and reduce administrative burdens while maintaining federal oversight.
The first major project affected will be the B. F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion, conducted with the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority. The expansion will add 130,000 acre-feet of storage to the 2-million-acre-foot San Luis Reservoir, the nation’s largest off-stream reservoir. Interior also ordered a review of cost-share programs, engineering procedures and environmental compliance requirements to identify further efficiencies.
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek said the reforms respond to longstanding stakeholder concerns and will improve customer service while aligning with the administration’s infrastructure priorities.
Interior further reported that a coordinated operation led by the Bureau of Land Management between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9 secured public lands across southern Arizona in support of broader federal border-security efforts. The surge — conducted in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Coronado National Forest, Sonoran Desert National Monument and surrounding public lands — resulted in:
• 48 apprehensions of individuals illegally present in the United States
• Two arrests of U.S. citizens for smuggling
• 37 traffic stops and seizure of four vehicles tied to smuggling
• 46.5 pounds of methamphetamine and 3 grams of cocaine recovered
• Resource-site inspections, multiple fence repairs and 45 public contacts
BLM officials said federal prosecution has been accepted for several cases, including charges under 8 USC 1324 for smuggling and 8 USC 1325 and 1326 for unlawful entry and reentry.
“Operations like this show our commitment to securing the border and protecting communities,” Burgum said, calling the effort a demonstration of federal, state, tribal and local coordination.
BLM, which oversees 191 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border and 8.8 million acres of public lands in the border region, described the operation as part of its continuing mission to combat illegal activity and safeguard natural and cultural resources.
Across all four announcements, Interior portrayed the actions as a unified effort to strengthen national energy development, modernize public access, accelerate major projects and protect the nation’s public lands — priorities the department says reflect President Donald J. Trump’s direction to reduce regulatory burdens, expand domestic capacity and improve public safety nationwide.
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