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The Bureau of Land Management has withdrawn 14 square miles of public lands in Colorado from an upcoming oil and gas lease sale scheduled for March. A 2019 injunction, issued by a federal judge in Idaho, suspended the Trump administration's efforts to roll back protections for the sage-grouse, reinstating Obama-era protections in ten Western states and forcing the BLM's deferrals. Environmental groups had sued over the BLM's failure to account for the climate impacts of leasing and development, preventing the agency from offering disputed leases in numerous states.
More than 48 square miles of public lands will still be offered in the March lease sale, and the parcels that were deferred could be sold off at a later date.
Carrying the conservation torch
It’s fair to say that much of the Western United States as we know it today was shaped by the foresight and leadership of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. There will be a celebration in Washington, D.C. this Friday to honor the life and legacy of Stewart Udall as one of our nation’s all-time champions for conservation, as well as emphasize the urgency of setting the course for the next 100 years of American conservation efforts.
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The future of New Mexico over the next 100 years will depend on actions taken today to ensure our natural resources continue to provide our most essential needs. We are fortunate to have our current system of national forests, parks and wildlife refuges, but these public lands alone are not enough to sustain our water supplies, wildlife populations, scenic open spaces, food security and the economic viability of our rural communities."
