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Backyard Problems
Extractive industries keep leaving toxic messes across the West. Will history continue to repeat itself? The Western United States has a long history of extractive industrial activity. Since the 1800s, westward colonization has both driven and relied upon the extraction of the West’s resources, from furs to timber to gold and other minerals. Extractive activity […]
Read MoreVideo Resources – Caja Del Rio, Dolores River Canyon, Avi Kwa Ame, and Castner Range
The Center for Western Priorities is excited to share b-roll footage reels of scenic wide-angle drone shots from our Postcards films on Caja Del Rio, Dolores River Canyon, Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range. These resources are available for free for non-profit or editorial use. Please fill out the form below to access the video […]
Read MoreThe Biden administration is planning to unnecessarily offer hundreds of thousands of acres of public land for lease
In August 2022, Congress overhauled the system for leasing oil and gas on America’s public lands when it passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Many of the updates were long overdue and intended to restore balance to a system that had been rigged in favor of the oil industry for more than a century. After […]
Read MoreWinning the West: Election 2022
The Center for Western Priorities released a new report, “Winning the West: Election 2022,” detailing how public lands were a winning issue in the 2022 election and how pro-conservation positions often gave candidates a competitive edge in close races. According to the report, candidates like new Congressman Gabe Vasquez in New Mexico highlighted their conservation […]
Read MoreLanguishing Lands
A new report from the Center for Western Priorities finds that bills to protect over 16 million acres of public land in the West are currently languishing in Congress. Protecting these landscapes would bring the nation closer to achieving the goal of conserving 30 percent of public lands and waters by 2030, a scientifically-driven priority […]
Read MoreConservation action can win over the media and the public
A new report from the Center for American Progress and the Center for Western Priorities highlights the consistent popularity of conservation Between the Inflation Reduction Act’s landmark action to confront the climate crisis; the CHIPS and Science Act’s unprecedented strengthening of American manufacturing, supply chains, and national security; and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s […]
Read MoreThe Antiquities Act and America’s national monuments: Frequently Asked Questions
Over the last week, America’s national monuments and the Antiquities Act have been in the news thanks to elected officials in Colorado asking President Biden to invoke the Antiquities Act and other executive powers to protect lands that are part of the CORE Act, which is stalled in Congress despite near-universal support in the state. […]
Read MoreMonuments to America’s Past: How presidents have used the Antiquities Act to protect and shape history
President Joe Biden has the opportunity to build on the legacy of Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama by designating national monuments that honor the stories of Black, Native American, and Latino people in the U.S.
Learn more about the history of cultural national monuments designated using the Antiquities Act as well as the proposed monuments President Biden could designate right now using the Act.
Read MoreConservation Gridlock
In the last decade, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Wyoming have conserved far fewer acres of public lands than neighboring Western states.
Read MoreThe 30×30 Disinformation Brigade
Shortly after the Biden Administration announced its “America the Beautiful” initiative to protect 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030 (aka “30×30”), a band of anti-government extremists launched an organized campaign of lies, speculation, and half-truths to undermine the effort.
Read More2021 Spills Tracker
The total number of oil and gas spills in each state was higher in 2021 compared to 2020. New Mexico operators reported a record number of drilling-related spills in 2021, as well as billions of cubic feet of wasted methane.
Read MoreBy the numbers: Onshore oil and gas leasing and drilling under the Biden administration
This dashboard provides an at-a-glance look at federal onshore oil and gas activity under the Biden administration, including statistics from past and upcoming lease sales. This dashboard will be regularly updated.
Read MoreBy the numbers: Onshore oil and gas leasing and drilling under the Biden administration
An at-a-glance look at onshore oil and gas leasing and permitting under the Biden administration.
Read More“No harm, no foul” doesn’t exist in oil and gas leasing
Report finds wilderness-quality lands are nearly 3 TIMES less likely to be managed to protect those characteristics if they are overlapped by oil and gas leases—even if those leases are purely speculative and are not being drilled.
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