Jul 28, 2026 | Look West Newsletter
More than 12,000 new mining claims have been staked in New Mexico over the past four years. According to an analysis by Source New Mexico of Bureau of Land Management data compiled by New Mexico Wild, that’s three times more than the number of claims staked over... 
Jun 29, 2026 | Look West Newsletter
The latest reauthorization of the Defense Production Act (DPA) presents a major threat to public lands. First passed in 1950, the DPA was originally designed to give the president limited authorities to ensure that domestic industry can meet the country’s national... 
Jun 26, 2026 | Westwise Blog
A 1950s defense law is being rewritten to gut environmental review, expand the government’s financial stake in mining, and fast-track extraction in the name of ’emergencies’ When it comes to threats to national public lands, the Defense Production... 
Jun 12, 2026 | Westwise Blog
Rushed environmental reviews won’t speed up new mines. Evidence suggests it slows them down Cutting environmental red tape to speed up mining in America has become a popular talking point across party lines. On the right, the Trump administration has made expediting... 
Apr 24, 2026 | Look West Newsletter
The Forest Service’s first overhaul of its mining regulations in more than 50 years has managed the unusual feat of uniting conservation groups and the mining industry in opposition—for opposite reasons. The proposed rule, as Hannah Northey reports for...