Ide argues that a sale of land to the federal government can only proceed with the state's approval, but in reality there's little the state can do.

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


** Wyoming lawmaker cites debunked legal theory to block conservation
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023
The North Platte River flowing through Marton Ranch, Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

Wyoming state senator Bob Ide is using a debunked legal theory "reminiscent of the Sagebrush Rebellion" ([link removed]) of the 1970s in an attempt to block the Bureau of Land Management from acquiring land from a willing private seller. In June 2022, the BLM announced ([link removed]) that it had completed the purchase of the Marton Ranch, a private property in Wyoming, using money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. But Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon directed the state to file a complaint with the Interior Board of Land Appeals, and the board directed the BLM to address Wyoming's concerns. The BLM has since released a supplemental environmental analysis ([link removed]) and collected additional public comments, and a final decision on whether to proceed with the
acquisition is expected by the end of June.

In a letter ([link removed]) to the BLM's Casper Field Office, Ide argues that a transfer or sale of land to the federal government can only proceed with the approval of the Wyoming state legislature—even if the land is being sold by a willing private seller. However, "The states cannot tell the federal government what to do with federal land, nor do states have any standing to tell private landowners who they can or cannot sell their land to," Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss points out ([link removed]) . University of Wyoming College of Law Associate Dean Sam Kalen adds ([link removed]) that states can comment on proposed plans, but when it comes to private land sales or transfers to the federal government, there's little the state can do.


** BLM Restoration Landscapes: Missouri Headwaters
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In celebration of the Bureau of Land Management’s $161 million investment in Western landscape restoration projects ([link removed]) , Look West is highlighting a different " ([link removed]) Restoration Landscape ([link removed]) " ([link removed]) each day for 21 days. Today’s landscape is the Missouri Headwaters in southwestern Montana. This important ecosystem
supports a variety of animals, fishes, and plants in a mix of mountains, valleys, and sagebrush steppe. A restoration investment of just under $10 million will support ecosystem health and recreation economies.
Quick hits


** Lawmaker claims state authority in private-to-fed land sale, but legal experts disagree
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WyoFile ([link removed])


** Colorado holding some oil and gas operators accountable, but more work to be done
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Colorado Times Recorder ([link removed])


** Western states question oil and gas industry's increasing water use
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Capital & Main ([link removed])


** Breaking down the Southwest states' stopgap deal to cut Colorado River water use
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Hay is sucking the Colorado River dry
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High Country News ([link removed])


** Greenback cutthroat trout comeback continues in Colorado Springs
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Colorado Springs Gazette ([link removed])


** The Grand Canyon, a cathedral to time, is losing its river
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Opinion: What is Elko's future when gold mining ends?
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Elko Daily Free Press ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Why are the citizens asked to bear the brunt of the drought when we see oil and gas operators using so much water?”
—Kevin Chan, Capital & Main ([link removed])
Picture this


** @mypubliclands ([link removed])
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Did you know...The Bureau of Land Management will invest $6 million in restoring lands in the San Luis Valley that are habitat for birds and federally listed species, and offer hunting and fishing at the Rio Grande headwaters.

📷 Bureau of Land Management - Colorado

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