Look West Newsletters
Trump exempts Arctic winter oil and gas drilling from environmental review
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will exempt winter oil and gas drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska from the environmental reviews normally required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The Interior department is using a categorical exclusion, which is supposed to be used for activities that have no significant impact on the environment. The […]
Read MoreAnalysis: 99.1 percent of public comments oppose Roadless Rule repeal
A new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities found that 99.1 percent of the 370,238 public comments posted on the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule oppose the Trump administration’s plan. The comment period closed October 6. The 2001 Roadless Rule prohibits most road construction and commercial logging on […]
Read MoreAbandoned mines ‘a constant problem’ across the West
An investigation by ABC News has shed new light on the problem of abandoned mines in the Western U.S. and across the country. The investigation compiled records from the Office of Surface Mine Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), part of the Department of the Interior, to create an interactive map of more than 230,000 documented abandoned mine sites. Many of […]
Read MoreArrests made as Border Patrol cuts down iconic tree to clear way for border wall
On Monday, contractors knocked down an iconic “grandmother” cottonwood tree on federal land in the San Rafael Valley near Lochiel, Arizona to clear the way for border wall construction. Armed Border Patrol agents cleared an encampment of about 50 people who had gathered to try to protect the cottonwood after three others had already been felled. All […]
Read MoreSupreme Court to open term with Colorado climate lawsuit
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will open its new term with a major climate lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado as its first case. In 2018, the city and county of Boulder sued ExxonMobil and Suncor, alleging that the companies misled the public about their climate impacts, in violation of Colorado state law. The Supreme Court […]
Read MoreChiricahua positioned to become Arizona’s newest national park
Arizona is one signature away from its fourth national park. The Senate passed a bill by unanimous consent Wednesday to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as a national park and sent it to President Trump’s desk. The bill was sponsored by U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego. It leaves the […]
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