Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Wyoming punts on Grand Teton sale
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Friday, December 8, 2023
Two bull moose spar in Grand Teton National Park. Photo courtesy Howie Garber Images
The Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners, led by Governor Mark Gordon, voted Thursday to delay a decision on whether to sell 640 acres of state trust land ([link removed]) located within Grand Teton National Park. Megan Degenfelder, one of the board members who voted to delay further action for now, recommended the state begin talks with the Interior department for a potential land exchange. The board said it will revisit a possible sale in fall 2024.
“To me the answer is really in the state entering negotiations with the federal Department of Interior to exchange other federal parcels of land within our borders for the Kelly parcel,” Degenfelder said ([link removed]) . “The federal government has its own land that we could [use to] truly maximize value to our beneficiaries, namely, in areas with oil and gas development.”
“Governor Gordon and the Land Commissioners did the right thing today,” said Center for Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala ([link removed]) . “A parcel this important should be open to the public and wildlife. Now the clock is ticking. It’s up to the governor and legislature to and ensure this land remains in public hands forever, as part of the national park.”
Americans to Biden administration: Protect the Arctic
A 90-day public comment period on the Interior department's proposed regulations for the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska came to a close on Thursday. An analysis by the Center for Western Priorities ([link removed]) found that 88 percent of commenters encouraged the Bureau of Land Management to adopt the regulations as written or further limit oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. Just 12 percent of comments encouraged BLM to significantly weaken or scrap the rule.
The proposed NPR-A regulations ([link removed]) would enhance protections for Alaska Native subsistence uses throughout the Reserve, especially within the Special Areas ([link removed]) identified in the plan. Over 40 Indigenous communities harvest caribou, birds, and fish within the NPR-A, with many communities subsisting primarily from food harvested from the Reserve. The rule would not affect existing oil and gas operations in the Reserve.
** Quick hits
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Wyoming land board delays action on Grand Teton parcel
Jackson Hole News & Guide ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed]) | Cowboy State Daily ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
Alaska Tribes urge protection for federal lands
Alaska Beacon ([link removed])
What a White House Tribal summit could mean for California's beloved open spaces
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Interior lauds Tribal land buyback program, urges more
E&E News ([link removed])
24 ideas floated for saving water and protecting Colorado River
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Election-year rules could span coal dust to California owls
E&E News ([link removed])
Groups warn of livestock trespass at Valles Caldera National Preserve
National Parks Traveler ([link removed])
Opinion: When going outside, be sure to respect, connect, and protect
Las Vegas Sun ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” This is not a partisan issue. I guarantee that if you put a ballot measure on any state ballot, including Wyoming, asking voters if they should simply maximize the value by selling state lands, or take a balanced approach to keep public lands public, the public option will always win.”
—Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss, Outside ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Happy 23rd Anniversary to Arizona's Las Cienegas National Conservation Area! 🥳🎉
This scenic area includes more than 45,000 acres of rolling grasslands and woodlands that connect several “sky island” mountain ranges and lush riparian corridors.
The historic Empire Ranch, located here, includes a 22-room adobe and wood-frame building dating back to 1870. It's even listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This setting makes it a favorite of classic western film fans. Red River, Duel in the Sun, Hombre, Winchester 73, The Big Country, and many others were filmed on or near the Empire Ranch.
📸 A wood frame building, water tower, and windmill at night under a starry night sky at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area; Bob Wick.
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