The Interior Department launched a “Map Baby Map” campaign similar to its “Drill Baby Drill” slogan.

Secretary Doug Burgum’s department started the Materials Access Program (MAP), which will make it easier and more affordable for Americans to obtain mineral materials such as sand, gravel, and rock used in construction and community development. The plans were obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter.

“This program is another example of the Department of the Interior working to cut red tape, lower costs for Americans, and help families and communities get the resources they need to build and maintain essential infrastructure,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Lanny Erdos explained. 

MAP comes as the Trump administration works across departments to lower costs for Americans; the Interior Department’s plans to reform the non-competitive mineral materials sales should reduce administrative requirements, improving efficiency and accessibility. The department under Burgum has rolled out a series of initiatives, many of which were first covered by the Reporter, to increase accessibility to parts of its purview, like the National Parks. One initiative that is already in place is the “America First” pricing of National Parks tickets, that lowers the cost of access to parks for Americans.

A former tech executive, Burgum led the rollout with an online mapping tool which will direct citizens to the pit nearest them. 

“This new tool with help rural families and small business better access resources on public lands,” Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said of the tool. “With the Community Pits Mapper and streamlined tiered pricing, we’re simplifying requirements and putting clear, mobile‑friendly information at people’s fingertips. These changes lower costs and help communities get projects done — roads repaired, water lines maintained and homes built — without compromising the values we manage on public lands.”

The department explained how the new process will work.

 “The Bureau of Land Management’s new policy standardizes procedures for noncompetitive mineral materials sales and establishes two pricing tiers for purchases of up to 150 tons per person or entity per calendar year outside established community pits,” the Interior Department said. “Tier 1, for 0 to 50 tons, sets a flat fee of $400 per transaction for small personal, community or small-scale construction projects. Tier 2, for 51 to 150 tons, sets a flat fee of $1,500 per transaction for local businesses, agricultural operations, infrastructure maintenance, and other material uses.”

The broader initiative is geared to align with the Trump administration’s priority of lowering costs for families, small businesses, and local governments, while also reducing regulatory burdens.