President Joe Biden may be a lame-duck leader until he exits office in January, but that doesn't mean he and his administration can't still make significantly impactful decisions that will affect the nation for decades to come.

This week, while everyone was focused on Thanksgiving, Biden's Bureau of Land Management quietly acted to prohibit new coal mining in the nation's largest coal reserve, citing climate change as the reason, according to the Daily Caller.

That move may prove to only be temporary, though, as sources indicated that the incoming Trump administration and Republican majorities in the House and Senate are planning actions of their own to reverse the decision.

No more coal mine leases for major coal-producing area

Politico's E&E News reported on Wednesday that President Biden's BLM decided to move formally to end all new leases for coal mining in what is known as the Powder River Basin -- a region that encompasses parts of Montana and Wyoming, produces the most coal of anywhere in the nation, and accounts for more than 40% of all coal produced nationwide.

While the decision won't impact coal mining operations that are already ongoing in the PRB, it will prohibit the issuance of any new leases and even rescind some leases that were previously approved during President-elect Trump's first term in office.

Todd Yeager, a BLM field manager based in Buffalo, New York, signed off on the move and wrote, "The decision is to make no federal coal available for future leasing."

Trump and GOP will likely reverse the decision

Unsurprisingly, Republicans and others who support coal mining to fulfill the nation's unquenchable demand for energy production are furious about the move and have already begun discussing how to reverse what the Biden-Harris administration has done on its way out the door.

According to The Hill, sources said the incoming Trump administration would likely take action quickly to reopen the Powder River Basin to future coal mining leases, possibly with legislative assistance from Republicans in the House and Senate.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who will be the GOP's No. 2 leader in the Senate next year, told the outlet in no uncertain terms that he opposed what the Biden-Harris administration had done and looked forward to working with President-elect Trump's people to undo it.

"After the American people issued a stunning rebuke to President Biden, he continues to punish Wyoming communities," the senator said in a statement. "I will work with President Trump and his team to reverse this and other midnight regulations."

Decision would do little to improve climate change but would substantially harm the economy, energy needs, and jobs

One reason that Republicans are so infuriated by this move to end future coal mining in the nation's largest coal-producing region is that the claimed environmental benefits from the move are relatively minuscule in comparison to the negative impact it will have on the nation's economy and energy production.

According to the BLM's environmental impact studies, prohibiting future coal mining in the PRB would potentially result in the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by around 283 million metric tons between the years of 2041 and 2048.

That purported reduction in CO2 would be roughly the same as removing approximately 61 million vehicles from America's roads for just one year, per The Hill -- in other words, the proverbial drop in the bucket or spit in the ocean.

Meanwhile, less coal mining would result in less fuel to power the nation's incessantly growing energy needs, would reduce the nation's gross domestic product, and would result in miners and those who support their operations losing their jobs.