The 2026 Midterm Elections

The 2026 midterm elections will have consequences far beyond Washington, D.C. The new balance of power in Congress will influence how the United States manages public lands, protects water resources, funds wildlife conservation, develops energy supplies, and supports outdoor recreation. For the Midwest, where agriculture, forests, the Great Lakes, rivers, wetlands, and forests are important to both the economy and quality of life, these decisions are especially significant. 75% of Americans now live in a state with a Democratic governor, and 53% live in a state with a Democratic trifecta. 

The blue tsunami delivered a sharp rebuke to President Trump’s policies, which he advanced through executive orders while the Republican-controlled Congress stood on the sideline. Many of these orders affected natural resources and recreation by weakening Clean Water Act protections, cutting federal conservation and park funding, rescinding roadless protections to open federal lands to broader uses, and slashing millions of acres in important recreation areas such as Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.

The soon-to-be Democratic majority will not control every natural-resource decision. Federal agencies, state governments, courts, local communities, and existing laws also shape environmental policy. Still, congressional majorities wield substantial influence through spending, legislation, oversight, and agency priorities.

Executive Orders- Roadless Rule Rescission, Clean Water Act and More

President Trump’s executive order repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule will likely face renewed opposition. Democrats could use congressional oversight, spending restrictions, or new legislation to block or reverse the removal of nationwide roadless protections, while also pursuing federal rulemaking. These efforts would aim to preserve the ecological and recreational value of nearly 45 million acres of national forest lands while allowing responsible wildfire management and forest health work.

Clean water policy could shift in a similar direction. Democratic leaders would likely seek broader federal protections, stronger enforcement, and legislation clarifying which wetlands and waterways fall under the Clean Water Act. This could be especially important in the Midwest, where wetlands, headwater streams, and connected watersheds help protect lakes, rivers, wildlife habitat, and drinking water.

Other executive orders have fundamentally reshaped the federal government's environmental priorities, dismantling environmental justice offices, rolling back longstanding protections, and weakening the regulatory authority of agencies charged with protecting our air, water, forests, and wildlife. Combined with substantial staffing reductions, canceled environmental grants and restrictions on climate research, these actions risk leaving federal agencies with fewer resources and less capacity to safeguard the nation's natural resources for future generations.

For Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, the stakes go beyond federal policy. Forests and wetlands sustain fishing, paddling, cross-country skiing, hiking, and outdoor tourism. New roads in previously protected forests can fragment habitat and increase runoff, while weaker water protections can harm water quality in downstream lakes and streams.   The Democratic majority will likely seek stronger forest and wetland protection.

Ultimately, the biggest change could be a shift in priorities: placing greater value on protecting intact forests, preserving wetlands, safeguarding clean water, and maintaining public lands for future generations. That would represent a meaningful change in the direction of federal natural resource policy.

A Democratic Majority: Conservation, Clean Energy, and Environmental Protection

The Democratic led Congress will likely pursue increased funding for national parks, national forests, and federal conservation programs. It will also support stronger safeguards for sensitive ecosystems and more extensive environmental reviews of proposed development projects.

Protecting freshwater is one of the most important natural-resource issues in the Midwest.  The Democratic majority could seek additional funding for stronger pollution controls and federal assistance for communities facing water-quality challenges. PFAS, agricultural runoff, harmful algal blooms, contaminated waterways, and aging wastewater infrastructure affect communities across the region.   

Climate Change and Renewable Energy

Democratic lawmakers favor policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric transportation. The new majority could pursue tax incentives, grants, research funding, and regulatory measures intended to accelerate the transition to lower-emission energy sources.

The Midwest highlights the close ties between natural-resource policy and the national economy. Despite their distinct landscapes and economic priorities, these states all rely on natural resources to support agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and recreation in varying combinations. Wisconsin and Minnesota exemplify this connection: their lakes, rivers, and forests sustain fishing, boating, camping, wildlife watching, and outdoor recreation.  

Congressional control is only part of the picture: state legislatures, governors, natural-resource agencies, tribal governments, and local authorities also shape decisions on state parks, hunting seasons, fishing regulations, land use, and water management. The blue wave extended to state governments, with Wisconsin electing a Democratic governor and flipping both legislative chambers to Democratic control. Minnesota retained Democratic control of the governorship and both chambers, while Michigan remained divided between a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled House and Senate.

What Didn’t Happen:  

A Republican majority would continue to prioritize domestic energy production, fewer regulatory burdens, and greater flexibility for resource-dependent industries. Republican lawmakers have argued that expanding energy production, mining, timber harvesting, and infrastructure strengthens the economy, creates jobs, and reduces reliance on foreign supplies. They have backed expanded oil and gas production, greater access to certain federal lands for extraction, and streamlined environmental reviews. 

The Future of Outdoor Recreation is Bright

Outdoor recreation is both a public benefit and an economic activity. National Park Service estimates show that visitor spending in communities near national parks contributed $56.3 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024, supporting jobs and businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and outdoor recreation services, according to the National Park Service Economic Report.

The same relationship exists throughout the Midwest.  Bikers, skiers, hikers, paddle sports, and other silent sport activities spend money in communities near parks and forests. These activities depend on accessible recreation areas, healthy ecosystems, functioning infrastructure, and reliable public services.

Election Perspective- Seth Taft, Executive Director, Friends of Wisconsin State Parks

“From the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks’ perspective, the Democratic majority could create an opportunity to make meaningful progress on Wisconsin’s longstanding natural resource and recreation challenges. The question is whether newly elected leaders will translate that opportunity into sustained investments in conservation, reliable public funding, and greater access to the places that help make Wisconsin special,” Taft told Silent Sports. “At the state level, Democratic leadership could bring renewed momentum to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, including a larger, longer-term funding commitment. This program has been instrumental in protecting critical habitat, preserving working forests, expanding public access, and supporting outdoor recreation. It may also create an opportunity to address longstanding funding and staffing shortages at the DNR, allowing the agency better to fulfill its responsibilities for conservation and public recreation. 

The Wisconsin state park system capital project list identifies nearly $2 billion in backlogged projects across the system, including infrastructure repairs, replacements, and recreation improvements. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has faced long-term personnel erosion, losing over 500 full-time equivalent employees since the early 2000s.

“There is a staggering obligation for a system that serves millions of residents and visitors. Increased public investment is essential to address deteriorating facilities, maintain trails and campgrounds, improve accessibility, and ensure that parks remain safe and welcoming. Continued reliance on user fees and volunteer contributions is not a sustainable substitute for adequate state funding. These investments should be viewed as economic development. Wisconsin’s parks, forests, trails, and waterways attract visitors, support local businesses, strengthen tourism economies, and provide residents with opportunities to improve their physical health and mental well-being. Protecting these resources is not simply an environmental issue; it is an investment in Wisconsin’s quality of life and long-term economic vitality,” Taft remarked.

More than 65 Friends groups have filled gaps left by park budget cuts enacted through Republican-led legislation. These groups contribute thousands of volunteer hours, offer educational programs and community events, raise funds, and support property improvements and seasonal staff.

“The Friends Groups' contributions are extraordinary, but they should complement, not replace, the government's responsibility to maintain a public park system. Stronger state investment would allow these organizations to build on their work rather than continually compensate for shrinking public resources. The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks will continue educating and working with elected officials of both parties. The challenge for the next generation of elected leaders is whether they will invest in protecting it, or leave future generations with an increasingly expensive obligation to repair what we failed to maintain,” Taft explained.

Election Perspective- Wisconsin State Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay)

Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin has led the natural resource charge from the Democratic minority.   "For years, Republican leadership has not valued Wisconsin’s conservation mission the same way most Wisconsinites do. From water quality to public land management to environmental health, we have seen Republican legislators fail to protect our state’s treasured commitment to conservation and our natural resources,” Habush Sinykin explained. “Despite its broad bipartisan support, Republican leadership played politics with Wisconsin’s stewardship program through a series of legislative actions including stripping Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funding from the budget, introducing a bill without land acquisition funding and an untenable oversight mechanism, refusing to negotiate across the aisle to reauthorize the program, and failing to support even a one-year extension of the current Knowles-Nelson program. It is evident that Republican politicians are failing Wisconsinites.”

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is a statewide conservation and land acquisition program that 93% of Wisconsinites support, but it has been mired in red tape under Republican leadership. 

“With a Democratic majority, Wisconsin can deliver a different outcome and, in my role as a Wisconsin state senator, I am determined to do so,” Habush Sinykin told Silent Sports. “And at the federal level, we have witnessed the cuts and chaos set in motion by the Trump Administration, which underscore the importance of our state government taking action to protect our natural resources. My Democratic colleagues and I are committed to upholding Wisconsin’s conservation tradition and securing future stewardship initiatives.”

Grassroots Advocacy: Outreach and Obstacles

As a long-term natural resource advocate and writer for Silent Sports Magazine, I’ve worked to engage both Republican and Democratic leaders on natural resource and recreational issues. These conversations matter because protecting our parks, forests, and outdoor opportunities should be a shared responsibility. More recently, in a failed effort to maintain the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program, we’ve taken Republican legislators on tours of state lands to connect them with the places those decisions affect. The results have been frustrating.  

The Future

The 2026 election has opened a new chapter for America’s natural resources and outdoor recreation. A blue wave brings renewed hope that protecting public lands, restoring clean water, investing in state parks, and expanding access to the outdoors will once again become national priorities. But elections alone don't repair a trail, preserve a forest, or keep a campground open. Those outcomes require leadership, sustained funding, and a willingness to put the long-term public good ahead of short-term political interests.  Our lakes, rivers, forests, and trails are more than beautiful places to escape; they are economic engines, community assets, and part of who we are. The real measure of this blue wave won't be how many seats changed hands, but whether it translates into meaningful action. The next generation deserves more than promises. It deserves clean water to paddle, healthy forests to explore, trails to ride, and public lands that remain open and protected. The time to turn political momentum into conservation progress is now.