Original cosponsor
Joined as an original cosponsor.
S.Res. 180 · A resolution designating the week of April 19 through April 27, 2025, as "National Park Week".
Accountability record
Where Richard J. Durbin stands on National Parks and Public Lands
Statements, legislative actions, and public records—shown with the sources behind them.
Richard J. Durbin
IL · U.S. Senate
Where they stand
The available statements support conservation protections for specified public lands and federal funding for national-park and public-land maintenance. They also oppose reductions to protections for specified monuments and wilderness areas, conditionally support restricting oil and gas development and limiting rampant off-road vehicle use in a specified fragile Utah landscape, and support protecting Native American sacred lands.
Position details
Protect more public lands as parks, monuments, wilderness, and conservation areas
SupportsSupports protecting and expanding conservation protections for specified public lands, including Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, wilderness-study areas, Cahokia Mounds, and other named conservation sites.
The cited statements address specific monuments, wilderness proposals, national parks, or other named conservation sites; they do not establish a position on every public-land policy.
Sources for this position
- Durbin statement on trumps decision to slash boundaries of bears ears and grand staircase escalante national monuments · Jul 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Official statement about a letter · Jan 21, 2022 (opens in a new tab)
- Durbin statement on restoration of grand staircase escalante and bears ears national monuments · Oct 8, 2021 (opens in a new tab)
- Durbin discusses enviromental protection and climate change with the nature conservancy · Apr 21, 2020 (opens in a new tab)
- Durbin schumer pelosi hoyer statement on president trumps decision to shrink utahs national monuments · Dec 4, 2017 (opens in a new tab)
- Official statement about floor remarks · Apr 26, 2017 (opens in a new tab)
- Official statement about a letter · Apr 28, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
Fully fund national parks and public-land agencies
SupportsSupports robust federal funding to address maintenance needs in national parks and public lands.
The cited statements focus on maintenance funding and do not establish positions on affordability, fees, staffing levels, or visitor-service access.
Restrict drilling, mining, and logging on sensitive public lands
Support depends onConditionally supports restricting oil and gas development in the specified fragile Utah wilderness landscape while recognizing that such activities may be appropriate in some other places.
They said: “Despite their pristine condition and their historical significance, these lands are threatened by oil and gas development as well as rampant off-road vehicle use. Although these activities are appropriate in some places, they don't belong in such a fragile landscape.”
Source for this position
Show 3 more positions
Limit large federal land protections that block local use
OpposesOpposes reducing or dismantling protections for the specified national monuments and related wilderness areas.
This finding is limited to the cited monument-boundary reductions and related protections; it does not establish positions on federal land sales or all forms of local authority.
Sources for this position
Protect Tribal sacred sites and expand Indigenous co-management
SupportsSupports protecting Native American sacred lands from desecration and looting.
The cited joint statement supports protection of sacred lands but does not establish support for Indigenous co-management.
Prioritize quiet recreation and habitat over motorized use in sensitive areas
Support depends onConditionally supports limiting rampant off-road vehicle use in the specified fragile Utah wilderness landscape.
They said: “Despite their pristine condition and their historical significance, these lands are threatened by oil and gas development as well as rampant off-road vehicle use. Although these activities are appropriate in some places, they don't belong in such a fragile landscape.”
Source for this position
How we reached this answer
What they said
“President Trump's decision to, once again, slash the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments is an attack on some of our nation's most extraordinary public lands.”
Read the full statement (opens in a new tab)“In the wake of these unfortunate reductions, I urge Congress to pass my America's Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect and defend these lands for future generations.”
Read the full statement (opens in a new tab)
We checked 16 of 16 bills Modern Action tracks on this subject.
Full record
Explore the evidence
Open the timeline for dated statements, speeches, votes, sponsorships, petition signatures, and source links.
Evidence timeline11 timeline entries10 statement sources16 verified passages1 congressional actionOpenClose
Newest records with confirmed dates appear first.
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin statement on trumps decision to slash boundaries of bears ears and grand staircase escalante national monuments
“President Trump's decision to, once again, slash the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments is an attack on some of our nation's most extraordinary public lands.”
“In the wake of these unfortunate reductions, I urge Congress to pass my America's Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect and defend these lands for future generations.”
“These lands belong to every American. In the wake of these unfortunate reductions, I urge Congress to pass my America's Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect and defend these lands for future generations.”
- What they’ve said· Press release
Durbin introduces legislation to invest in a clean climate future and spur job creation
“The America's Clean Future Fund Act would invest in clean energy projects to spur economic growth across the country.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Official statement about a letter
“We encourage you to use your authority under the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) to provide protections for lands that demonstrate wilderness characteristics as Wilderness Study Areas.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin statement on restoration of grand staircase escalante and bears ears national monuments
“Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are national treasures. I commend President Biden for restoring these unique places so Americans can experience them for generations to come. It's our duty to protect our awe-inspiring public lands.”
“It's our duty to protect our awe-inspiring public lands.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin duckworth applaud senate passage of bipartisan great american outdoors act
“I'm glad the Senate could come together to pass this bill that provides robust federal funding to maintain our national parks and public lands for future generations of Illinoisans to enjoy,”
“I'm glad the Senate could come together to pass this bill that provides robust federal funding to maintain our national parks and public lands for future generations of Illinoisans to enjoy”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin discusses enviromental protection and climate change with the nature conservancy
“my hope is that we continue to improve air and water quality, protect our National Parks, and find innovative ways to conserve land and water.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin duckworth colleagues introduce bipartisan great american outdoors act
“The backlog in maintenance and land management poses a serious threat to the beauty and upkeep of these national treasures. Our bill ensures the federal funding is there to maintain the parks for future generations,”
“Our bill ensures the federal funding is there to maintain the parks for future generations”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Durbin schumer pelosi hoyer statement on president trumps decision to shrink utahs national monuments
“Many of these are sacred land to Native Americans, and they will now be put at risk of desecration and looting. We must not allow this Administration to dismantle the protections that have been built for more than a century since Congress passed the Antiquities Act in 1906.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Official statement about floor remarks
“Despite their pristine condition and their historical significance, these lands are threatened by oil and gas development as well as rampant off-road vehicle use. Although these activities are appropriate in some places, they don't belong in such a fragile landscape.”
“These monuments are for all of us, and we must ensure that they remain in their natural condition for current and future generations to enjoy.”
- What they’ve said· Official statement
Official statement about a letter
“I support protecting and sharing this important natural, archeological, and cultural resource that runs through Collinsville, Illinois, and represents the indigenous peoples and landscapes that once made up one of America's first cities in the Western Hemisphere.”
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Public statements, verified social and news · search completed · 17 verified
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Updated Aug 17, 2026