In June, President Donald Trump nominated Ted Cooke to lead the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages the Colorado River. But Cooke’s nomination was withdrawn abruptly before a Senate confirmation hearing, due to “inconsistencies” in his background check. In an interview with Colorado Politics, Cooke called the decision “feckless” and politically motivated.
“It was a made-up thing to embarrass you to make you go away quietly,” Cooke said. “The real issue is Upper Basin politicians lobbied by their constituents that they don’t want an Arizonan making decisions on the Colorado River.”
The timing is disastrous for the Bureau of Reclamation to be without leadership: the seven Colorado River Basin states have until November 11 to agree on a new Colorado River management plan to replace the 2007 guidelines that expire in 2026. Negotiations are currently stalled as both the Upper and Lower River Basin states rejected the Bureau of Reclamation’s proposed alternatives.
Former national park superintendents urge Trump administration to close parks in case of shutdown
Forty former superintendents sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Friday arguing that national park units should be closed in the case of a government shutdown. The letter argues that the decision to keep parks open during previous shutdowns resulted in vandalism, destroyed wildlife habitat, and safety risks for visitors.
“We don’t leave museums open without curators, or airports without air traffic controllers and we should not leave our National Parks open without NPS employees,” said Emily Thompson, the executive director of the Coalition to Protect America National Parks.
Quick hits
Former national park superintendents urge Trump administration to close parks in case of shutdown
Associated Press | New York Times | E&E News | San Francisco Chronicle | Los Angeles Times | Outside | Deseret News | National Parks Traveler
Trump administration plans mass cuts to National Park Service, public land agencies
BLM signals it may reopen Utah off-highway vehicle trails
Judge says federal workers’ firing was illegal, but it’s too late now
‘Wild for Good’ report highlights Colorado public lands under threat
Denver Post | Rocky Mountain Community Radio
Trump administration plans to close unknown number of U.S. Forest Service offices in Alaska
Trump rollback of rule for public lands—including 13,000 square miles in Colorado—would reduce conservation role
Trump is setting the national parks up to fail
Quote of the day
Part of what we do is making sure that our kids will be able to experience the same thing, that we’re protecting these places responsibly for the next generation. We are losing the ability to do that.”
—Anonymous park ranger, The Atlantic
Picture This
@usinteriorLarch madness! In @ncascadesnps, western larch and subalpine larch transform the mountains each fall. These unusual conifers are deciduous, which means they have needles like evergreens but turn bright gold and drop them each autumn.
From late September into mid October, larches glow against a backdrop of rugged peaks and clear waters. Their golden light marks the final blaze of fall before snow and winter quiet settle over the high country.
Featured photo: Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River in Arizona, Charles Wang/Wikimedia Commons