Recent reporting from Public Domain found that Karen Budd-Falen, a top official at the Interior department who has been plagued with ethics scandals, met with former legal clients from the ranching industry before intervening to stop the release of endangered Mexican gray wolves last year.
In June 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was preparing to transfer a Mexican gray wolf and her pack to a ranch in southwest New Mexico owned by billionaire Ted Turner. But just weeks before the scheduled transfer, Budd-Falen attended a meeting with ranchers who were her former legal clients, and sent an email to FWS staff demanding the wolf transfer be delayed.
In 2021, Budd-Falen filed a legal petition against the Interior department arguing that officials violated federal law when they finalized a decision to transfer Mexican wolves, which she described as a “known problem,” onto Turner’s Ranch. In that legal fight, Budd-Falen represented Sierra County commissioners and three nearby ranches.
According to Public Domain, the ethics waiver that Interior granted Budd-Falen in March 2026 does not appear to retroactively cover her participation in grazing issues during the first year of her current tenure, including her role in delaying last year’s release of the Mexican wolf pack.
Happy Juneteenth!
From the Center for Western Priorities team, happy Juneteenth! While the Trump administration removed Juneteenth from being a fee-free day at national parks, many park sites are offering special programming to commemorate the holiday.
Quick hits
Firm tied to Trump donor got no-bid contract to clean Reflecting Pool
Bipartisan group in Congress pitches bill to block ‘backdoor’ public lands sales
Interior’s use of park fee revenue raises questions over federal funding rules
Court filings reveal extent of censorship in nation’s national parks
Top Interior official met with former clients before intervening to delay wolf release
Utah Trust Lands board approves sale of 50,000 acres in Book Cliffs to state wildlife division
Podcast: Wildfire season doesn’t have to be like this
Colorado Parks and Wildlife kills wolf after state officials say it killed 22 sheep
Quote of the day
Reconciliation is a very partisan exercise meant for certain approach of legislation, and selling public lands has no place in that. We need to protect our public lands.”
—Congressman Juan Ciscomani, U.S. representative for Arizona’s 6th congressional district, KUNC
Picture This
(Featured image: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (left) and Karen Budd-Falen, the agency’s associate deputy secretary, in late March at the signing of a memorandum of understanding to boost grazing on federal lands. USDA, X)