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After 117 years, Antiquities Act continues to shape our conservation story
Today marks the 117th anniversary of one of America’s bedrock conservation laws, the Antiquities Act. Since it became law in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been used by 18 presidents of both parties to designate 161 national monuments, many of which went on to become national parks including Arches, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, and Zion National Parks. Vocal […]
Read MoreOn its 117th anniversary, the Antiquities Act continues to shape America’s conservation story
June 8 marks the 117th anniversary of one of America’s bedrock conservation laws, the Antiquities Act. Since it first became law in 1906, 18 presidents of both parties have used the Antiquities Act to designate 161 national monuments — many of which are now national parks. The Act grants the president the authority to permanently protect places with […]
Read MoreStewart Udall and the politics of beauty
Kate and Aaron are joined by filmmaker John De Graaf to talk about his new documentary Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty. De Graaf has been producing and directing PBS documentaries for 45 years, 32 of which he spent at KCTS, the Seattle PBS affiliate. His new film recounts former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall’s […]
Read MoreWyoming lawmaker cites debunked legal theory to block conservation
Wyoming state senator Bob Ide is using a debunked legal theory “reminiscent of the Sagebrush Rebellion” of the 1970s in an attempt to block the Bureau of Land Management from acquiring land from a willing private seller. In June 2022, the BLM announced that it had completed the purchase of the Marton Ranch, a private property in Wyoming, using money […]
Read MoreColorado Supreme Court deals setback to stream access
A long-running stream access dispute in Colorado came to an end on Monday when the Colorado Supreme Court held that Roger Hill, a Colorado angler, did not have legal standing to make the argument that the Arkansas River is public property, that the public has the right to wade in it, and that the owners of private land adjacent to […]
Read MoreUrban sprawl collides with drought, wildfire risk across the West
In Western states, demand for more housing is running up against the challenges of water availability and wildfire risk, both of which are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Last week, state officials in Arizona announced that the state would stop construction of some already-approved subdivisions that would rely on groundwater, citing an analysis by the state’s Department of Water […]
Read MoreHaaland announces historic protections for Chaco landscape
Today, the Biden administration issued an executive order establishing a 20-year mineral withdrawal around New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon. The withdrawal will protect a 10-mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, removing the threat of oil and gas drilling in one of America’s most archaeologically-rich areas. “Thank you, President Biden and Secretary Haaland. […]
Read MoreHaaland announces historic protections for Chaco landscape
DENVER—Today the Biden administration issued an executive order establishing a 20-year mineral withdrawal around New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, according to The New York Times. The withdrawal will protect a 10-mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, removing the threat of oil and gas drilling in one of America’s most […]
Read MoreInterior to invest $161 million in Western landscape restoration
The Biden administration announced plans to direct $161 million into ecosystem restoration projects on public lands as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which funds job creation in industries that boost U.S. competitiveness, rebuild infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and help build a clean energy economy. The Bureau of Land Management will use the funds on 21 “restoration landscapes” across […]
Read MoreCould the Dolores River be Colorado’s next national monument?
The Denver Post editorial board says it’s time to protect the Dolores River and surrounding lands. The Dolores River, located along Colorado’s western border with Utah, is home to important riparian habitat, recreational opportunities, and Native American artifacts and cultural sites. Colorado political leaders and conservationists are advocating for increased protections for the area. The proposed Dolores River National […]
Read MoreJudge rules in favor of corner-crossing hunters
In a significant win for public lands access, a federal judge ruled on Friday that four Missouri hunters did not trespass when they corner-crossed and passed through the airspace above a private ranch in Wyoming. Corner crossing refers to the act of stepping from one piece of public land to another at a common corner with two pieces […]
Read MoreSupreme Court guts protections for wetlands
The Supreme Court has curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to protect wetlands, siding with Chantell and Michael Sackett in their long-running legal battle to build their dream home near the shore of an Idaho lake. The anti-conservation Pacific Legal Foundation represented the couple. Experts in environmental law say the decision will sharply limit the EPA’s authority to protect millions […]
Read MoreThe mining industry is integral to the future of clean energy. But it’s playing dirty.
The U.S. desperately needs to transition to renewable energy, and this transition will require a huge amount of metals and minerals. Electric vehicle and solar panel manufacturers use minerals and metals like lithium, cobalt, graphite, and copper in their batteries. Demand for these materials is set to skyrocket over the next few decades. For example, […]
Read MoreTaxpayers lost out on billions thanks to antiquated oil and gas rules
Taxpayers have lost out on billion of dollars of revenue from drilling on public lands thanks to antiquated oil and gas rules, according to a new report by Taxpayers for Common Sense. For nearly a century, the federal government used the same below-market royalty rate, rental rate, and minimum bid for onshore oil and gas leases. While […]
Read MoreCan renewable energy and conservation coexist?
Aaron and Kate are joined by Grace Wu, an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, to talk about her research on balancing renewable energy development and conservation in the West. The study examined the potential habitat loss and land use impacts of developing the complete set of onshore wind, offshore […]
Read MoreFeds reject push to make copper a critical mineral
The United States Geological Survey has rejected a bid by members of Congress and the copper industry to add copper to the United States’ Critical Minerals List. A bipartisan group of senators, including Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, sent a letter to the USGS in February asking it to add copper to the list, citing a study conducted by the Copper Development […]
Read MoreLower Basin states reach deal to conserve Colorado River water
The three Colorado River Lower Basin states—Arizona, California, and Nevada—have agreed to voluntarily conserve three million acre-feet of water over the next three years, in exchange for $1.2 billion in compensation from the federal government. That amounts to around 13 percent of the states’ total allocation from the river. Most of the cuts, 2.3 million acre-feet, will come from water […]
Read MoreIt’s time to overhaul the 151-year-old General Mining Act
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona have introduced legislation to overhaul the General Mining Act of 1872, which still governs hardrock mining on federal lands, despite being completely irrelevant to today’s technologies and practices. Their Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act (CEMRA) proposes several urgently needed and long-overdue reforms to the current law, including […]
Read MoreStatement on introduction of bill to reform 1872 mining law
“Modernizing our mining laws is the best way to hold mining companies accountable for their activities on public lands…”
Read MoreWhat does climate change have to do with the debt limit crisis?
The question of when exactly the U.S. government will reach the debt limit is made more complicated by a well-known but in this instance surprising culprit: climate change. A series of recent climate-related disasters has the effect of slowing down the pace of federal tax collection efforts, another factor pushing the government closer to defaulting […]
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