Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Alaska governor pushes for Pebble Mine despite overwhelming opposition
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, September 25, 2023
Fishing boat in Bristol Bay, Alaska. echoforsberg, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed])
The governor of Alaska is reviving a decades-long fight ([link removed]) to build an open pit mine at the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed in southwest Alaska. The Pebble Mine would destroy thousands of acres of wetlands and the planet's most productive salmon fishery ([link removed]) , causing irreparable damage to the communities that depend on it. The mine is opposed by a consortium of Alaska Native Tribes ([link removed]) , the International Union for Conservation of Nature ([link removed]) , and the entireAlaska congressional delegation ([link removed]) .
Earlier this year, the EPA vetoed the mine using its authority under the Clean Water Act ([link removed]) to prohibit the disposal of mine waste in certain waters within the watershed. Under the governor's direction this summer, the state challenged the EPA veto by taking the case directly to the U.S. Supreme Court ([link removed]) , claiming that the EPA's veto takes state “property without just compensation.” This claim ignores the 2019 unanimous Supreme Court decision ([link removed]) that in Alaska, state lands are subject to the regulatory powers of the EPA and other federal authorities.
“While Gov. Dunleavy claims to be representing the interests of Alaskans, he has for years supported the development of the Pebble Mine over the strong objections of Alaskans,” wrote marine ecologist Carl Safina and environmental lawyer Joel Reynolds in a New York Times opinion ([link removed]) . “In fact, a recent poll found that 74 percent of Alaska’s voters are still concerned ([link removed]) that the EPA’s rejection of the project won’t do enough to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale mining.”
The authors emphasize ([link removed]) that the EPA's actions were fully legal and overwhelmingly supported by Alaskans, and urge Congressional action to permanently protect Bristol Bay from mining threats.
** Quick hits
------------------------------------------------------------
The state of Tribal co-management of public lands
High Country News ([link removed])
Court allows southern Arizona mine exploration to proceed as challenge continues
Arizona Republic ([link removed])
Deb Haaland: Public lands represent freedom and openness
Outside ([link removed])
BLM to release new plan for hundreds of miles of Utah’s desert roads
Deseret News ([link removed])
The fight over Arizona’s shipping container border wall ends with dismissal of federal lawsuits
Associated Press ([link removed])
Vast swath of Colorado public lands would be off limits to oil and gas leasing under federal plan
Denver Post ([link removed])
Opinion: Fighting for public lands and Alaska’s future
Anchorage Daily News ([link removed])
Blackfoot Clearwater wilderness bill headed to Senate floor
Missoula Current ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
------------------------------------------------------------
” When we conserve our public lands, we are doing more than protecting their beauty. We protect the places where history was made. We safeguard the air we breathe and the water we drink. We defend the livelihoods of people who depend on these lands and waters as a way of life, like our ranchers, outfitters, guides, and rural and Indigenous communities. We honor the sacred lands that Tribal Nations have stewarded since time immemorial. We make our Nation more resilient to the impacts of climate change.”
—President Joe Biden, National Public Lands Day proclamation ([link removed])
** Picture This
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
@ ([link removed]) joshuatreenps ([link removed])
Us walking into the first day of fall.
☑️ Flannels and sweaters out.
☑️ Venti PSL in hand.
☑️ Gourd-geous autumn home decor on full display.
But have you done any planning for your trip to Joshua Tree this upcoming busy season (October-May)?
NPS Photo/Carmen Aurrecoechea
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.
Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
