WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture this past week rolled out a trio of announcements that stretch from drilling rules on national forests to expanded ethanol sales and a blunt game-day warning for Americans planning to graze through the Super Bowl: keep food out of the “Danger Zone,” or risk sending your party home sick.
On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the department said the U.S. Forest Service finalized revisions to its regulation governing federal oil and gas resources on National Forest System lands, calling the update a modernization that streamlines energy development management across millions of acres. Brooke L. Rollins and Doug Burgum announced the updated rule, framing it as part of the Donald J. Trump administration’s push to eliminate what it described as outdated processes and to advance executive orders on declaring a national energy emergency and unleashing American energy.
“President Trump has made it clear that unleashing American energy requires a government that works at the speed of the American people, not one slowed by bureaucratic red tape,” Rollins said, adding, “Energy security is national security.” Burgum said, “We are replacing the Biden administration’s bureaucratic delays with American innovation and efficiency.”
The department said the final rule, 36 CFR 228 Subpart E, published in the Federal Register, updates and simplifies oil and gas leasing procedures and is intended to let the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management coordinate more seamlessly when issuing permits. The rule establishes a single leasing decision point and aims to reduce duplicative analysis, improve response times to industry requests, cut backlogs, accelerate lease issuance, and support timely processing of applications for permits to drill, the department said.
Under federal law, the Forest Service manages the surface estate of National Forest System lands while the Bureau of Land Management manages the subsurface mineral estate, with the agencies working together on permitting conditions, the department said. It reported that 5,154 federal oil and gas leases cover about 3.8 million acres — roughly 2% of National Forest System lands — and that about 2,850 leases spanning 1.8 million acres across 39 national forests and grasslands contain producing federal oil or gas wells.
In a separate statement also dated Tuesday, Rollins applauded Trump’s support for nationwide year-round sales of E-15, saying he announced the position “today in Iowa” and urging Congress to send legislation to the president’s desk. Rollins said nationwide E-15 would allow “up to 2 billion more bushels of corn to be consumed domestically,” and she pointed to rising demand for biofuels, saying American ethanol exports are up 11% in the last year and citing new purchase agreements that expanded ethanol access in the UK, Japan, Malaysia, and Cambodia. She also cited support for nationwide year-round E-15, what she called the highest Renewable Volume Obligation proposal in U.S. history, and extending the 45Z biofuel tax credit through 2029 in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Then on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service warned that Super Bowl spreads built around takeout, delivery, and food left out for hours can create a fast track to foodborne illness if hosts lose track of time and temperature.
“When food is served throughout the Super Bowl, it can be easy to lose track of how long it’s been sitting out,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears. “As Americans gather to enjoy the game, keeping food hot or cold and serving it promptly helps protect family, friends, and guests from foodborne illness.”
The agency warned that common favorites such as pizza, chicken wings, sliders, and chili should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours in what it calls the Danger Zone, between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where bacteria can multiply to unsafe levels. It urged hosts to transport takeout in insulated bags if travel exceeds an hour, serve food promptly or refrigerate portions until reheating, keep hot foods at 140 degrees or above, and reheat meat or poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured by a food thermometer. The agency also advised cooking whole cuts of beef, pork, and lamb to 145 degrees with a three-minute rest, ground meats to 160 degrees, and leftovers and casseroles to 165 degrees.
For food safety questions, the department said consumers can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or email MPHotline@usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
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