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


** The phantom ‘non-profit’ run by a shady ex-Trumper
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Tuesday, May 9, 2023
The ostensible Washington DC headquarters of Protect The Public's Trust. Chris D'Angelo, Twitter ([link removed])

A self-proclaimed watchdog group that has gained notoriety in right-wing circles for its litigation against the Biden administration is largely a phantom. HuffPost reporter Chris D'Angelo revealed that despite its talk of being a champion of transparency, Protect the Public's Trust has misrepresented itself in public records requests ([link removed]) targeting Biden cabinet members.

In a May 2021 request to the Department of Energy, PPT called itself “a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with supporters and members of the public who seek a transparent, ethical, and impartial government.” But PPT has never filed the IRS form that's required of 501(c)(3) groups, nor did it provide one to HuffPost, which non-profits are required by law to produce.

After HuffPost asked PPT about its nonprofit status, the group changed the description at the top of its Facebook page from “nonprofit organization” to “Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).”

The group is headed by Michael Chamberlain, a former Trump administration official who worked on the Trump campaign in 2016 and featured a photo of himself with President Trump on his Facebook profile.

Despite having no discernable paper trail or business records in Washington D.C. or neighboring states, PPT appears to be well-funded, filing dozens of lawsuits targeting the Biden administration, including numerous Interior department officials. The address PPT lists as its headquarters is home to a check cashing and office supply storefront.
Quick hits


** Biden admin expedites 'first-ever' critical minerals project in southern Arizona
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Arizona communities spend millions to find new sources of water
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Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** Plan to pay farmers to use less Colorado River water comes up dry
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Denver Post ([link removed])


** No more silence: Indian boarding school survivor shares her story 60 years later
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Cronkite News ([link removed])


** Fire destroys Hurricane Ridge lodge in Olympic National Park
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KUOW ([link removed]) | Peninsula Daily News ([link removed])


** Abandoned coal mines may be a source for geothermal energy
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CNBC ([link removed])


** For ‘elder statesman’ of Colorado rafting, a life of twists and turns
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Denver Gazette ([link removed])


** Opinion: Biden's national monuments are a great start—let’s do more
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Nevada Independent ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” I was happy the way life was. But then they said this is not a good life. The white man pointed to his chest. He said, ‘Do you want to be like me?’”
—Anita Yellowhair, Navajo boarding school survivor, Cronkite News ([link removed])
Picture this


** @nationalparkservice ([link removed])
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Anything but metric…🍌

B-A-N-A-N-A-S! According to the park, Mammoth Cave is approximately 3.37 million bananas long (banana for scale) which equals to about 426 miles (686 km) of surveyed passageway. Wow! That’s a bunch! While we know that Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system, we haven't discovered all of it yet! Park partners like the Cave Research Foundation (CRF) are continuously mapping and surveying the cave to help us better understand the resource.

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