Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** 21 species declared extinct as biodiversity crisis worsens
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Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Sand to Snow National Monument in southern California contains 12 threatened and endangered wildlife species. Bureau of Land Management, Flickr ([link removed])
Twenty-one species have been declared extinct ([link removed]) and will be taken off the endangered species list, according to an announcement ([link removed]) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on Monday.
All but two of the species were listed under the Endangered Species Act prior to 1990, at which point it is possible they were already extinct. According to ([link removed]) USFWS Director Martha Williams, federal protections were implemented too late to reverse the species' decline.
Scientists have warned ([link removed]) of the mass extinction of plants and animals across the world as a result of human-driven climate change. In the Western United States, the biodiversity crisis has been exacerbated by oil and gas development, which has disrupted wildlife migration routes, left hazardous waste ([link removed]) on vulnerable public lands, and driven the climate crisis to new extremes ([link removed]) .
"The 21 species extinctions highlight the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before declines become irreversible," the USFWS wrote in its announcement ([link removed]) . "The circumstances of each also underscore how human activity can drive species decline and extinction by contributing to habitat loss, overuse, and the introduction of invasive species and diseases."
** Quick hits
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Federal government declares 21 species extinct
CBS News ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Miami Herald ([link removed]) | Washington Examiner ([link removed])
Ken Burns' new documentary 'The American Buffalo' is a story of perseverance
Albuquerque Journal ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | Texas Monthly ([link removed])
To tackle groundwater overuse, Nevada takes new approach: buying back farmers’ rights
Nevada Independent ([link removed])
Opinion: New BLM rules would improve quality of life in oil and gas country
Casper Star Tribune ([link removed])
How megafires are remaking the world
New York Times ([link removed])
Glaciers in the Mountain West are dripping away
KUNC ([link removed])
USDA issued nearly $2 billion to conservation efforts in 2023
KAALTV ([link removed])
Artists from around the country come to Colorado National Monument to paint
KJCT ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” The story of the American buffalo is also the story of Native nations who lived with and relied on the buffalo to survive, developing a sacred relationship that evolved over more than 10,000 years but which was almost completely severed in fewer than 100.”
—Ken Burns, director of "The American Buffalo," Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@utahpubliclands ([link removed])
The Bone Yard Trail skeleton reminds you to plan ahead and bring plenty of water and food while #adventuring ([link removed]) on your #publiclands ([link removed]) . #RecreateResponsibly ([link removed]) #Utah ([link removed])
@mypubliclands ([link removed]) @usinterior ([link removed])
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