This funding is in addition to the $161 million announced earlier this year for the BLM's 21 Restoration Landscapes across the West
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** BLM invests $4.5 million in improving sagebrush habitat
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Friday, October 13, 2023
A greater sage-grouse, Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced ([link removed]) a new investment of $4.5 million to continue and expand an existing partnership ([link removed]) between the BLM and the Intermountain West Joint Venture ([link removed]) which works to conserve bird habitat in Western states. The partnership works to conserve and restore sagebrush habitat and improve rangeland health. Sagebrush habitat is found across several Western states and hosts a community of plants and animals including the greater sage-grouse, whose populations have been declining in recent years.
"Remarkable things happen when Westerners work together," BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said ([link removed]) in a statement, adding that the funding "will leverage the power of partnerships between government agencies, communities, landowners, industry, and non-profits for the shared goal of improving sagebrush habitat and rangeland health." This funding, part of the Inflation Reduction Act ([link removed]) passed in August 2022, is in addition to the $161 million announced earlier this year for the BLM's 21 Restoration Landscapes ([link removed]) across the West.
Protecting the wild, vast Owyhee Canyonlands
In the latest episode of the Center for Western Priorities podcast, The Landscape ([link removed]) , Kate and Aaron are joined by Tim Davis, founder and executive director of Friends of the Owyhee, and Karly Foster, campaign manager at the Oregon Natural Desert Association, to talk about how we can better protect the Owyhee Canyonlands. The Owyhee Canyonlands span from southeast Oregon into southwest Idaho, and it is one of the most remote, intact landscapes in the Western U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is running a bill ([link removed]) that would help balance extractive uses and conservation in the landscape, and the coalition working to protect the Owyhee just launched a campaign ([link removed]) asking President Joe Biden to designate the region as a national monument.
** Quick hits
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Advocates push for creation of East Las Vegas National Monument
KVVU ([link removed])
Lawmakers urge Biden to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Sierra Sun Times ([link removed])
Fossil fuel industry embrace of direct air capture raises alarm
Reuters ([link removed])
In wildfire-prone areas, homeowners are learning they're uninsurable
Grist ([link removed])
New Mexico continues to fight nuclear waste storage site
Carlsbad Current-Argus ([link removed])
Corner-crossed landowner hires more attorneys, signaling intent to appeal recent court loss
WyoFile ([link removed])
Opinion: For a thriving future, prioritize outdoor recreation as an economic engine
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed])
Solar eclipse will be visible across much of the West on Saturday, illuminates Indigenous traditions
New York Times ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | KSTU ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Why are we subsidizing fossil fuel companies, which are the most profitable in history, to extend their lifespan by decades? We should be spending that money on real solutions.”
—Jonathan Foley, Project Drawdown, Reuters ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
On Saturday, October 14, most skywatchers in the U.S. will experience at least a partial eclipse. BUT, from the Oregon coast to the Texas Gulf Coast, where skies are clear, folks will see the full annular eclipse. Also known as the "ring of fire" eclipse, it occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth at its farthest point from our planet. 🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔
During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. To capture this 2017 solar eclipse pictured below, the @nationalparkservice ([link removed]) photographer developed the image with two different exposures – one of the eclipsed Sun using a solar filter to protect the camera's sensor and photographer's eyes, while the other was unfiltered and captured the landscape below the Sun.
Photo by Patrick Myers / @greatsanddunesnps ([link removed])
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