The Bureau of Land Management released a draft Regional Management Plan (RMP) for stewarding 3.6 million acres of public land in the Rock Springs
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** BLM proposes new conservation areas in southwestern Wyoming
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Friday, August 18, 2023
Boar's Tusk in Wyoming's Red Desert, weesam2010/Flickr ([link removed])
The Bureau of Land Management released ([link removed]) a draft Regional Management Plan (RMP) for stewarding 3.6 million acres of public land in the Rock Springs region of southwest Wyoming, which includes popular recreation destinations, culturally significant sites, and important wildlife corridors. The proposed plan ([link removed]) would update outdated management practices in order to better balance conservation, recreation, and oil and gas leasing in the area. It has strong support from local communities and was drafted in consultation with Tribes that have ancestral connections to the area.
The draft RMP proposes 16 new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs)—a BLM designation that offers special management practices for areas with important natural, cultural, and scenic resources, intact landscapes, habitat connectivity, and ecosystem resilience. It also proposes expanding existing oil and gas closures in the Northern Red Desert and Big Sandy Foothills, areas that have low oil and gas potential.
“Premier wildlife habitats in the Northern Red Desert and Big Sandy Foothills promote population sustainability for big game herds, greater sage-grouse, and other sagebrush-dependent species,” said Tom Christiansen, retired Wyoming Game and Fish Department Sage Grouse Coordinator ([link removed]) . “I applaud the foresight these land managers have shown in this draft plan for protecting migration corridors and limiting energy development in important landscapes for a variety of wildlife. This draft plan provides critical tools for managers to continue stewarding these lands.”
The release of the draft RMP kicks off a 90-day comment period where the public can provide input on the proposed plan.
2023 Winning the West poll
Yesterday, the Center for Western Priorities released the latest Winning the West pol ([link removed]) l ([link removed]) . The poll shows that national public lands, parks, and wildlife issues matter to Western voters in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. A strong majority of Western voters—across political parties—say a candidate’s support for conservation plays an influential role in how they choose to vote. If you opened yesterday's Look West shortly after it arrived, you might have encountered a broken link. Fortunately, our brief technical issue was resolved, and you can now access the Winning the West website ([link removed]) to view the poll results.
** Quick hits
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BLM proposes new conservation areas in southwestern Wyoming
WyoFile ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Bureau of Land Management ([link removed]) [press release] | The Wilderness Society ([link removed]) [statement] | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership ([link removed]) [statement]
This satellite will leave methane polluters nowhere to hide
Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])
What to do if you’re attacked by a bear—or any of these other wild animals
National Geographic ([link removed])
Wildfires once fueled extinctions in Southern California. Will it happen again?
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Copper Mountain starts seeding to spark a landscape-scale biodiversity effort
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
More than 60% of Arizona wildfires were started by people
Axios Phoenix ([link removed])
Editorial: Say goodbye to grass that’s only there for looks. California can’t afford to waste water
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Tenacious black bear scales Yosemite’s Half Dome
Advnture ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Yes, huge, empty lawns watered with sprinklers may make us feel like we’re on a damp English estate in a Jane Austen novel. But we’re not. We’re in 21st century California—increasingly arid but still paradise if we change our ways to be more in line with what nature offers.”
—Los Angeles Times Editorial Board ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
Just the boys hanging out at the local watering hole talking about their migration plans for the fall.
Yellow-headed blackbirds nest in noisy colonies on national wildlife refuges and near prairie wetlands out West and in the Midwest. As the name suggests, the male yellow-headed blackbird is easily identifiable by its striking saffron yellow head. While females are more subdued in coloration that helps camouflage them during nesting season.
Photo at Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge by K. Theule / @USFWS ([link removed])
#birds ([link removed]) #birding ([link removed]) #wildliferefuge ([link removed]) #publiclands ([link removed])
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