Establishing the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission
This executive order establishes the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission to address the significant deferred maintenance and access issues impacting America's national parks and public lands.
The commission will advise the President on responsible conservation strategies, promoting economic growth alongside environmental stewardship.
The order directs federal land management agencies to prioritize responsible resource management, expand public access for recreation, and cut bureaucratic delays.
Arguments For
Intended Benefits: The order aims to improve the condition of national parks and public lands, expand access for outdoor recreation, and stimulate economic growth in related sectors.
Evidence Cited: The order points to billions of dollars in deferred maintenance for national parks and forests, and highlights the substantial economic contribution of the outdoor recreation industry (1.2 trillion dollars in economic output in 2023).
Implementation Methods: The order creates a commission to advise on conservation strategies and coordinate federal agency efforts. It encourages collaboration with state agencies and voluntary conservation efforts to achieve better land management.
Legal/Historical Basis: The order cites the President's constitutional authority and the laws of the United States as its basis; it also mentions the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152) as an example of successful conservation legislation.
Arguments Against
Potential Impacts: The commission's recommendations could lead to reduced environmental regulations, potentially impacting environmental protection and resource management.
Implementation Challenges: Coordinating numerous federal agencies may prove challenging and may face resistance if individual agencies have different priorities. Securing funding for maintenance and conservation initiatives is also a potential bottleneck.
Alternative Approaches: Existing agencies and organizations could be resourced and empowered to achieve similar impacts without the establishment of a new commission.
Unintended Effects: Policies prioritizing outdoor recreation access might increase environmental stress on certain areas. The focus on voluntary conservation could be insufficient to address larger issues and might not be balanced with robust regulations.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The United States is blessed with vast beautiful landscapes, abundant natural resources, and a rich heritage of discovery by travelers and outdoorsmen. America’s national parks, forests, waterways, and public lands have inspired generations and kindled our Nation’s spirit of exploration. To ensure that the next generation of Americans inherits this same sense of duty and adventure, my Administration will prioritize conserving our great American national parks and outdoor recreation areas.
Years of mismanagement, regulatory overreach, and neglect of routine maintenance require action. Land-use restrictions have stripped hunters, fishers, hikers, and outdoorsmen of access to public lands that belong to them. These bureaucratic restrictions have undermined outdoor traditions and threatened conservation funding. The National Park Service and the United States Forest Service face more than $23 billion and $10.8 billion in deferred maintenance, respectively, leaving roads, trails, and historic landmarks in disrepair. Despite these challenges, our Nation has proven that conservation and economic growth go hand in hand. Since the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152), the outdoor recreation economy has grown to $1.2 trillion in economic output, and, in 2023, comprised 3.1 percent of employees in the United States and supported 5 million jobs.
Through both innovation and commonsense policies, America can preserve its natural beauty and expand outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations. It is the policy of my Administration to prioritize responsible conservation, restore our lands and waters, and protect our Nation’s outdoor heritage for the enjoyment of the American people.
The order's purpose is defined.
It acknowledges the importance of America's natural resources and the need for conservation.
The order highlights the economic benefits that conservation initiatives can produce.
Past mismanagement and deferred maintenance within Federal land management agencies and the need for action are also emphasized.
Sec. 2. General Policies. All Federal land management agencies, as defined by 16 U.S.C. 6801(3), shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that their policies:
(a) promote responsible stewardship of natural resources while driving economic growth;
(b) expand access to public lands and waters for recreation, hunting, and fishing;
(c) encourage responsible, voluntary conservation efforts;
(d) cut bureaucratic delays that hinder effective environmental management; and
(e) recover America’s fish and wildlife populations through proactive, voluntary, on-the-ground collaborative conservation efforts.
This section outlines general policies for all Federal land management agencies.
These policies aim to balance responsible resource management with economic growth, improve public access to lands and waters, and encourage cooperative conservation work.
It also targets bureaucratic inefficiencies and prioritizes the conservation of fish and wildlife populations through proactive efforts.
Sec. 3. Establishment and Composition of the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission. (a) There is hereby established the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission (Commission), which shall be chaired by the Secretary of the Interior (Chair), with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy serving as Executive Director (Executive Director).
(b) In addition to the Chair and the Executive Director, the Commission shall include the following officials or their designees:
(i) the Secretary of Defense;
(ii) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(iii) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(iv) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(v) the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(vi) the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff;
(vii) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;
(viii) the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality; and
(ix) other members of my Administration invited to participate, at the discretion of the Chair and the Executive Director.
The President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission is established.
The Secretary of the Interior will chair the commission, while the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy will serve as the Executive Director.
The Section details the membership of the commission, including various cabinet-level secretaries and other key administration officials, allowing for broad representation across relevant policy areas.
Sec. 4. Conserving Our National Treasures. The Commission shall advise and assist the President regarding how best to responsibly conserve America’s national treasures and natural resources, including by:
(a) monitoring the implementation of this order and facilitating interagency coordination on conservation efforts;
(b) providing to the President actionable recommendations for improving conservation efforts;
(c) developing policies to recover fish and wildlife populations through collaboration rather than regulation, including policies involving coordination with State wildlife agencies;
(d) recommending to the President solutions to expand access to clean drinking water and restore aquatic ecosystems to improve water quality and availability; and
(e) developing policies to expand access to public lands, national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges while promoting a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities like hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, boating, off-roading, and wildlife viewing.
This section outlines the responsibilities of the newly created commission.
Its tasks include monitoring the order's implementation, making recommendations to the President on conservation improvements, fostering collaboration with other agencies and state wildlife authorities, addressing water quality issues, and promoting diverse outdoor recreation opportunities.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Interior.
This section includes stipulations regarding the order's interpretation and implementation.
It clarifies that the order does not supersede existing legal authorities or the OMB's budgetary functions.
It emphasizes that implementation is subject to the law and available funding.
The order doesn't create any legally enforceable rights and the Department of the Interior is responsible for its publication costs.