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


** Feds reject push to make copper a critical mineral
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Wednesday, May 24, 2023
The Mission Complex open-pit copper mine in Pima Arizona; Joyce Cory, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed])

The United States Geological Survey has rejected a bid ([link removed]) by members of Congress and the copper industry to add copper to the United States' Critical Minerals List. A bipartisan group of senators, including Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, sent a letter ([link removed]) to the USGS in February asking it to add copper to the list, citing a study ([link removed]) conducted by the Copper Development Association, a mining industry group.

The Critical Minerals List is a federal list of non-fuel minerals deemed critical to national or economic security but vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Were copper to be added to the list, it could help expedite domestic mining projects, such as the Resolution Copper Mine proposed at Oak Flat.

The San Carlos Apache Tribe, which considers Oak Flat to be a sacred site, Earthworks, Patagonia, and the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition sent a letter ([link removed]) to the USGS in April asking it not to list copper as a critical mineral, alleging errors in the Copper Development Association's study and political motivations on behalf of the senators.

In an April 13 letter to Sinema ([link removed]) , USGS Director David Applegate laid out similar reasons for rejecting her bid to add copper to the list. He cited federal data showing that the country's reliance on imported copper actually decreased in 2022, while about a third of domestic copper consumption requirements were met through recycling. He also explained that the U.S. does not rely on China, Russia, or Ukraine for copper but rather Chile, Canada, and Mexico.


** Public lands rule hearings
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The Bureau of Land Management will host a meeting on Thursday ([link removed]) in Golden, Colorado for members of the public to learn more about its proposed “Public Lands Rule,” which would put conservation on equal footing with grazing and drilling. It will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Denver West Marriott in Golden. Other meetings will be held ([link removed]) Tuesday, May 30, in Albuquerque, Thursday, June 1, in Reno, and Monday, June 5, online ([link removed]) .
Quick hits


** Breaking down the"breakthrough" Colorado River deal
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Land Desk ([link removed])


** Study: Western resort towns risk being ‘loved to death’
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High Country News ([link removed])


** California will need $21.5 billion to clean up its oil sites. Who’s going to pay for it?
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ProPublica ([link removed])


** Chevron’s purchase of PDC Energy creates the biggest oil and gas company in Colorado
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Lake Powell boat ramps start to reopen as epic snowmelt offers a temporary reprieve
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KUER ([link removed])


** Opinion: Endangered Species Act aims to stop extinction, not projects
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Nevada Independent ([link removed])


** Interior’s oil plan is coming. Here’s what to watch
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Yellowstone National Park investigating bison calf incident, death
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Daily Montanan ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Will Tiehm’s buckwheat stop Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Mine? Not likely, and that’s not the point. What’s more likely is that the mine will overhaul its operations plan to ensure it doesn’t drive the rare wildflower extinct by destroying its critical habitat.”
—Patrick Donnelly ([link removed]) , Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity
Picture this


** @GrandCanyonNPS ([link removed])
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“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.” ― David Brower

📷 courtesy of Tyson Joye

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