Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Tribes, lawmakers urge Biden to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
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Thursday, April 13, 2023
Grand Canyon National Park, W. Tyson Joye/National Park Service ([link removed])

Members of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, and others joined Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva and Senator Kyrsten Sinema on Tuesday to outline their proposal for Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument ([link removed]) . The proposed monument covers over 1.1 million acres of land adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park.

Designating the proposed area as a monument would permanently protect the area’s water, wildlife, sacred spaces, and ancestral homelands from uranium mining and would honor more than a dozen Tribes' cultural ties to the area. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni means “our footprints” for the Hopi Tribe.

There is widespread public support for protecting the area from extraction. Colorado College's 2023 Conservation in the West Poll ([link removed]) showed that 62% of Arizona voters support a permanent ban on new uranium and other mining on existing public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon.

“Today we embark on a national campaign to urge President Biden to designate Grand Canyon National Monument under the Antiquities Act,” said Representative Grijalva ([link removed]) at a press conference. “This campaign is not just about making history, it’s about saving history and its spirit and the people who honored the Canyon.”


** The River of Sorrows film showcases Colorado's Dolores River
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See one of Colorado’s last, best wild places up close at a premiere showing of The River of Sorrows on the upcoming Colorado film tour. The film follows two packrafters down the near-dry Dolores River ([link removed]) , telling the complex story of the river and the public lands that surround it. The River of Sorrows is produced and directed by the award-winning Rig to Flip production company and filmmaker Cody Perry—a Dolores, Colorado resident. Learn from those whose lives are closely intertwined with the river and landscape and take a deep dive into water use issues, boating, uranium mining, agriculture, Tribal water rights, and the impacts of climate change on the Dolores River Canyon Country. RSVP online ([link removed]) for a free showing near you!
Quick hits


** Tribes and lawmakers call for new national monument designation near Grand Canyon
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KNAU ([link removed]) | Arizona Public Media ([link removed]) | HuffPost ([link removed].) | Source New Mexico ([link removed])


** Colorado planned to lease state land to Utah power company for a natural gas plant, then protests surfaced
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** A ‘historic’ winter continues to ease drought conditions in the Mountain West
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KUNR ([link removed])


** This California superbloom is so big, you can see it from space
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The Atlantic ([link removed]) | Fox5 ([link removed]) | San Fransisco Chronicle ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed]) | KTVU ([link removed])


** Oil and gas-related spills increased in New Mexico and Colorado in 2022
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Colorado Newsline ([link removed]) | Carlsbad Current-Argus ([link removed])


** Climate advocacy groups submit a ballot initiative that would end new oil and gas permits in Colorado by 2030
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CPR News ([link removed])


** 'Forever chemicals' found in New Mexico oil and gas wells
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Carlsbad Current-Argus ([link removed])


** Over 2,000 acres protected in Colorado through state, local, and private partnership
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Denver Post ([link removed]) | Denver7 ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” The Canyon is part of each and every Havasupai person, it is our home, it is our land and our water source and our very being. Designating these areas as a national monument will protect them from contamination, destruction or exploitation and the other harmful effects of mining.”
—Edmund Tulasi, Havasupai Tribe member, Arizona Republic ([link removed])
Picture this
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** @Interior ([link removed])
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The Yuki Wilderness is a stunning natural wonderland in California, renowned for its picturesque landscapes and diverse wildlife. During the spring, the wilderness transforms into a breathtaking display of vibrant colors and fragrances as wildflowers bloom. Photo by Bob Wick

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