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Western megafires erase 2 decades of air quality progresss
A new study finds that megafires in the Western U.S. are causing premature deaths and have undermined improvements in air quality from reduced vehicle emissions. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, found that air quality worsened in the West from 2000 to 2020, with concentrations of black carbon rising 55 percent. The authors estimate that fires have […]
Read MoreWyoming land office: Grand Teton auction should start at $80 million
The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments formally recommended auctioning a parcel of state land inside Grand Teton National Park to the highest bidder—at a starting bid that is $18 million higher than the parcel’s appraised value. The state land office recommendation would set a minimum bid of $80 million for the Kelly Parcel, despite widespread […]
Read MoreTribal leaders ask Biden to designate national monuments in California
Tribal leaders in California are calling on President Joe Biden to use his power under the Antiquities Act to expand San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by more than 100,000 acres and designate the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. In a press call on Thursday hosted by Indigenous Voices of Nevada, a nonprofit aimed at […]
Read MoreWolverine listed as threatened in Lower 48
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that the wolverine will be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the Lower 48. Threatened species are those that are likely to become endangered if measures to recover the populations are not taken. This decision has been years in the making. Environmental groups have been fighting for wolverine protections […]
Read MoreIn Wyoming, conservation plan would make more sense than searching for oil and gas
For decades, mining, grazing, and oil and gas development have been prioritized on public lands in southwest Wyoming. But since 2011, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been trying to turn away from legacy resource extraction in the broader area known as the Red Desert—one of the largest unfenced desert landscapes in the Lower 48. Now, as […]
Read MoreMore calls for Biden to designate Chuckwalla National Monument
According to Mark Butler, former superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park and 38-year career employee of the National Park Service, the California desert needs increased protections for vulnerable public lands. The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument would protect approximately 660,000 acres of federal public lands south of Joshua Tree, and would also protect lands adjacent to the national park. If […]
Read MorePatagonia urges Biden to protect the Arctic from extraction
Patagonia recently launched a campaign urging President Biden to protect three ecologically sensitive areas of the Alaskan Arctic from drilling and mining. The areas include the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), and the Brooks Range. The campaign is urging individuals to submit public comments calling for increased protections for the three areas. Patagonia is encouraging the public […]
Read MoreOutdoor recreation is now a trillion-dollar industry
A new analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) finds that the value added of the outdoor recreation economy accounts for $563.7 billion, or 2.2 percent, of national gross domestic product (GDP). When adjusted for inflation, this represents an increase of 4.8 percent from the previous year, compared to an increase of 1.9 percent for the economy overall. Total gross […]
Read MoreAnother setback for Tribes battling Nevada lithium mine
U.S. District Judge Miranda Du has granted the government’s motion to dismiss claims brought by Tribes that the Thacker Pass lithium mine threatens the historic site of a massacre of Tribal members by the U.S. Cavalry in 1865. Du had previously ruled that the Tribes had failed to prove that the location of the massacre site is the […]
Read MoreHow a Wyoming land use plan ended up in a misinformation war
Aaron and Kate are joined by Julia Stuble, Wyoming State Senior Manager with the Wilderness Society. Julia is a Wyomingite who’s lived and worked in the state for decades. She’s here to talk about a proposed Bureau of Land Management resource management plan, or RMP, for southwest Wyoming that’s making waves in the state. The […]
Read MoreProposed Chuckwalla National Monument is a win for conservation and renewable energy
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument encompasses a 660,000 acre landscape located south of Joshua Tree National Park and northeast of the Salton Sea in California. It includes vital habitat for threatened and endangered desert wildlife, including the desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, and chuckwalla lizard as well as being the proposed location for the reintroduction of Sonoran Pronghorn antelope, and also […]
Read MoreProposed Chuckwalla National Monument is a win for conservation and renewable development
This fall, Representative Raul Ruiz introduced legislation to protect Chuckwalla National Monument, a 660,000 acre landscape located to the south of Joshua Tree National Park and northeast of the Salton Sea. The legislation has support from several Tribal nations, elected officials, community leaders, and residents of the eastern Coachella Valley region of California, who along […]
Read MoreBLM foundation focuses on recreation opportunities
The Bureau of Land Management’s congressionally chartered nonprofit partner, the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, has released a report with recommendations for how the agency can improve recreation experiences on BLM-managed public land. The report is the result of listening sessions with stakeholders, including more than 120 organizations that represent interests including off-roading, hunting and fishing, conservation, and local, […]
Read MoreHow Biden can protect the Arctic in the wake of Willow
The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), located on Alaska’s North Slope, contains nearly 23 million acres, making it ten times the size of Yellowstone National Park as well as the single largest plot of contiguous public land in the United States. It contains some of the best caribou habitat in the country, which helps sustain nearby Native Alaskan communities. […]
Read MoreSTATEMENT on upcoming Senate committee meeting on land protection bills
Congress continues to consider same bills without taking action DENVER—Tomorrow, Thursday November 16, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee will hold a business meeting to consider pending legislation. Many of the bills being considered are land protection bills, some of which have been considered many times in previous years but have repeatedly died due to gridlock […]
Read MoreNational climate report finds U.S. hit harder than other countries by climate change
A congressionally-mandated federal climate report released today delivered a predictable message: the U.S. must rapidly reduce emissions or face even more dire consequences to human health, infrastructure and the economy. The latest National Climate Assessment includes a comprehensive look at U.S. climate science, impacts and action. More than 750 experts across a number of federal agencies evaluated thousands of academic studies and other […]
Read MorePublic meeting showcases unpopularity of Grand Teton auction
At a public meeting last week in Jackson, Wyoming, more than 20 people filled the time allotted for public comment with expressions of opposition to a proposal to auction off a parcel of land within Grand Teton National Park to the highest bidder. The “Kelly parcel” is a 640-acre piece of Wyoming state trust land that is bordered […]
Read MoreSupport grows for San Gabriel National Monument expansion
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted a public listening session on expanding California’s San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Over 250 people attended the event, including Dr. Homer Wilkes, undersecretary at the USDA, and Dr. Rudy Ortega Jr., Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. Earlier this year, California’s Senator Alex Padilla and Representative […]
Read MoreElection day wins for Western public lands
In this year’s election, several Western states passed noteworthy public lands measures, primarily focusing on funding for local parks and trails. Voters in Phoenix overwhelmingly approved a $109 million bond for libraries, parks, and historic preservation. This bond will fund new facilities and various improvement projects across municipal parks and recreation sites. Similarly, voters in the city of Goodyear, Arizona […]
Read MoreArizona lawmakers challenge Utah national monuments
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma are urging the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a decision by a trial judge to maintain protections for hundreds of thousands of acres in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. The August ruling was in response to lawsuits aimed at nullifying President Joe Biden’s […]
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