The Interior Department also announced a variety of funding investments, and the Forest Service announced a proposed rulemaking for forest resilience.
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Biden signs environmental justice executive order
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 24, 2023
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho, which will receive $1 million for conservation partnerships, Lena Chang/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ([link removed])
In a Rose Garden ceremony on Friday, President Biden signed ([link removed]) a new executive order, Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All ([link removed]) . The order directs all federal agencies to incorporate environmental justice into their missions, assess their environmental justice efforts, and develop and implement strategic environmental justice plans. Agencies will now be expected to identify and address gaps in research and data, including on cumulative impacts, and to make that research and data more accessible to the public. The order also creates a new Office of Environmental Justice within the White House Council on
Environmental Quality; the new office will coordinate environmental justice efforts across the federal government.
Last week the Interior Department also announced a variety of funding investments, including: $125 million for land and water restoration projects ([link removed]) ; $140 million for water conservation and restoration projects ([link removed]) ; and $35 million for projects, such as culvert and dam removal ([link removed]) , to address migration for fish and other aquatic and terrestrial species.
The Interior and Agriculture Departments also released ([link removed]) a joint report ([link removed]) on mature and old-growth forests on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. The Forest Service also announced ([link removed]) a proposed rulemaking for national forest and grassland climate resilience.
Quick hits
** Biden signs environmental justice executive order
------------------------------------------------------------
New York Times ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Bloomberg Law ([link removed]) | Axios ([link removed])
** Interior Secretary announces funding for conservation projects
------------------------------------------------------------
Idaho Capital Sun ([link removed])
** U.S. plans better protections for old-growth forests
------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press ([link removed])
** What's next for public lands: A conversation with Tracy Stone-Manning
------------------------------------------------------------
Boise State Public Radio ([link removed])
** Abandoned oil and gas wells get plugged in New Mexico
------------------------------------------------------------
Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])
** Natural gas companies fined $9.25 million for leaks
------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
** Luxury hillside development in severe fire danger draws opposition
------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
** Opinion: Oil and gas are not the only things of value on public lands
------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Will we still have the resolve to make the tough, painful choices to permanently cut our water use, so it matches what the Colorado River produces? Or will we just use this time to kick the can again?”
—Joanna Allhands, Arizona Republic ([link removed])
Picture this
** @Interior ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
2023 is shaping up to be a spectacular year for wildflowers! In southern California, orange, purple and yellow flowers are blanketing the hillsides of Jawbone Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Area. Photo by Ryan O'Dell / @BLMca ([link removed])
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.
Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
