When President Donald Trump’s so-called “ Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) passed Congress , its supporters celebrated a sweeping return to “energy dominance.” But buried beneath the headlines is a quiet, far-reaching assault on America’s outdoor recreation heritage — one that puts the $1.2 trillion dollar recreation economy at risk.

The bill calls for oil and gas leasing on hundreds of thousands of acres of beloved trails, climbing areas and paddling routes. From Moab to Montana, from the Rio Grande Gorge to the Wind River Range, our shared public lands are suddenly wide open for drilling — whether we like it or not.

I am a retired park professional with a 43-year career spanning both the National Park Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife. What concerns me is that Section 50101 of H.R

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