Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Uinta Basin Railway on hold for now
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Monday, August 21, 2023
A train passes through Glenwood Canyon along the Colorado River, heading east from Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress ([link removed])
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday dealt a major blow ([link removed]) to a plan to direct billions of gallons of crude oil from Utah through Colorado by rail.
The proposed Uinta Basin Railway would connect oil fields in Utah with the national rail network, directing billions of gallons of crude oil through Colorado. The railway was proposed by Utah’s Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and would quintuple production ([link removed]) in the Uinta Basin, with an estimated 3,300 new oil wells.
The Court of Appeals agreed with Eagle County ([link removed]) , Colorado ([link removed]) and several environmental groups that have sued over the plan, overturning federal approval of the proposed railway by citing violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. The judge ruled that the Surface Transportation Board failed to consider downstream impacts along the Colorado River. The appeals court ordered the Surface Transportation Board to redo its environmental review of the project.
“They cut corners in their environmental analysis of this project particularly as it relates to Colorado and now they have to start over,” Eagle County Attorney Bryan Treu said ([link removed]) of the Surface Transportation Board’s three-year study of the railroad.
Meanwhile, oil production is booming ([link removed]) in Utah's Uinta Basin. Utah’s petroleum production is rising to record levels, and employment in Utah's oil and gas industry rose 16 percent between 2021 and 2022. Most of those jobs are in Duchesne and Uinta counties, where 85 percent of Utah’s petroleum production takes place, according to the Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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BLM issues plan to balance multiple uses of public land in southwest Idaho
Local News 8 ([link removed])
Terry Tempest Williams: Extreme heat is taking its toll on the Southwest
New York Times ([link removed])
Descendants of Sand Creek Massacre want more control of the Colorado lands their Tribes called home
Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])
Fill Mead first: Group proposes to fill Lake Mead by draining Lake Powell
Fox 5 Vegas ([link removed](KVVU),Mead%20and%20drain%20Lake%20Powell.)
Opinion: Taxpayers could be stuck with $1 billion oil and gas clean up without BLM rule change
KRWG ([link removed])
Infrastructure law creates winners and losers when it comes to orphan well clean up by state
E&E News ([link removed])
Wyoming’s first woman forester has plans for the future of the state’s forests
Wyoming Public Radio ([link removed])
With TikTok and lawsuits, Gen Z takes on climate change
New York Times ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” We see what’s happening with climate change, and how it affects everything else... We’re experiencing a mix of anger and fear, and we’re finally channeling it into hope into the form of collective action.”
—Elise Joshi ([link removed]) , 21, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, a progressive advocacy group
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Hey photographers! 📷
Your public lands have so many beautiful places to see! Get outdoors and enjoy your public lands, then submit your best images of the memories you made to the "Share the Experience" photo contest! This annual photography contest encourages amateur photographers to submit their favorite images of public lands and we want to see yours from the lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management!
We can't wait to see what you share. We will highlight our favorites on our social media.
Submit your photos through December 31! Learn more about the contest and check out last year's winners at the link in our bio 🔗
📸: The setting sun lights a field of purple flowers; Carrizo Plain National Monument; Curtis Kautzer (Share The Experience photo contest)
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