Press Releases
ANALYSIS: Annual report finds at least 2,400 oil and gas spills occurred across Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico in 2025
Legacy spills and leaks analyzed in this year’s report raise new questions about decades of undetected pollution The following release was updated on 9/22/26 to correct these two errors: In the Wyoming section, the release stated that Merit Energy reported seven spills in 2025. Merit Energy actually reported 30 spills and ranked seventh among Wyoming […]
Read MoreIndustry and off-roading groups call for elimination of WSAs and weakened Wilderness protections
Review of public comments finds oil, mining, grazing, and off-roading groups are asking the Trump administration to gut protections for every tier of the Wilderness system DENVER—A review of public comments finds that drilling and mining associations, ranching groups, and off-road vehicle advocates are asking the Trump administration to weaken protections for congressionally-designated Wilderness, eliminate […]
Read MoreArizona conservation and Tribal leaders denounce border wall construction on public lands, join campaign to Keep Parks Public
TUCSON—Arizona conservation and Tribal advocates joined the Center for Western Priorities to call on President Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Congress to halt border wall construction that is destroying public lands, severing wildlife corridors, and threatening sacred sites across southern Arizona. At a live taping of The Landscape podcast, the Center for Western Priorities’ Keep […]
Read MoreNew report shows the impact of oil and gas drilling nomination surge on public lands
DENVER—A new report released today by Rocky Mountain Wild and the Center for Western Priorities illustrates how the Trump administration’s giveaway of national public lands for oil and gas drilling is impacting wildlife, outdoor recreation, and cultural resources across the West. The report, “On the doorstep: How a surge in drilling nominations threatens America’s public lands,” uses eight case […]
Read MoreCommenters overwhelmingly oppose BLM’s rollback of oil and gas rule, analysis finds
99.5 percent of nearly 16,000 comments opposed the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to gut leasing reforms DENVER — An analysis released today by the Center for Western Priorities finds overwhelming opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to roll back its 2024 oil and gas leasing rule. CWP’s analysis found that of 15,822 comments posted to the docket […]
Read MoreUSFS’s own analysis shows Roadless Rule repeal would harm wildlife, water, and rural communities
DENVER — The U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) own Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule, released Wednesday, documents extensive harm from the administration’s preferred plan, including increased risk of wildfire starts and only “modest” fuel reduction gains. According to the 333-page DEIS document released alongside the proposed rule, under Alternative 2 (USFS’s preferred option), the […]
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