Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** First five gray wolves reintroduced in Colorado
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife ([link removed])

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials released five gray wolves on state-managed public land in Grand County on Monday, making it the first time a state, not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has introduced an endangered species into wildland in the United States.

A majority of Coloradans voted in 2020 in favor of reintroducing wolves to the Western portion of the state by the end of 2023. Since then, the effort has faced opposition from the cattle industry. Two ranching groups sued CPW last week ([link removed]) to block the agency from releasing wolves before the end of the year. A federal judge declined to suspend the reintroduction plan ([link removed]) , allowing CPW to move forward with the release this week.

The five animals released on Monday came from packs in Oregon ([link removed]) and included two juvenile females, two juvenile males and one adult male. Colorado officials anticipate releasing 30 to 50 wolves ([link removed]) within the next five years in hopes the program starts to fill in one of the last remaining major gaps ([link removed]) in the western U.S. for the species.

“Living alongside wolves and other wildlife is part of life in the West, and we have the tools we need to successfully restore this piece of our natural heritage,” said Kaitie Schneider of Defenders of Wildlife ([link removed]) , one of the groups that worked on the ballot initiative that led to the reintroduction effort. “Now, we must allow these wolves to lead us toward the first self-sustaining wolf population Colorado has seen in over 80 years.”

State takes over cleanup of shuttered uranium mine—again

The company responsible for keeping uranium-tainted water out of Denver and Arvada’s drinking supply is walking away from cleaning up the shuttered Schwartzwalder mine in Jefferson County ([link removed]) . State officials are taking a $7.3 million surety bond to continue to fund treatment ([link removed]) . The company, Colorado Legacy Land, had previously walked away from cleanup of the Cotter Mill ([link removed]) , an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in Cañon City.

The Schwartzwalder mine, located about 7 miles northwest of the city of Golden, has not produced uranium since 2000. According to state regulators, water treatment at the site must go on for years to come—without proper summer water treatment, tainted mine water builds up and then overflows. Unless the treatment equipment is turned on again in spring of 2024, the pool of tainted water is expected to begin overflowing in June ([link removed]) .


** Quick hits
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First five gray wolves reintroduced in Colorado

Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Denver 7 News ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | KKTV ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Colorado Newsline ([link removed])

Pete Buttigieg is serious about reducing wildlife vehicle collisions

Outside ([link removed])

Tribal nations play a growing role in addressing the biodiversity crisis

Sierra Magazine ([link removed])

Biden's Arctic oil rules may leave big gaps for addressing climate change

E&E News ([link removed])

Water reuse claims threaten to drain more from declining Great Salt Lake

Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])

Critics alarmed by plan to stash carbon dioxide under Forest Service land

Grist ([link removed])

Environmental advocates push to halt review of Lake Powell pipeline

E&E News ([link removed])

Colorado takes over cleanup of shuttered uranium mine

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” The Lake Powell Pipeline is a paper dinosaur that needs to be shredded once and for all.”

—Zach Frankel, Utah Rivers Council, E&E News ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Traveling to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona is like traveling to another world. With towering walls streaked with desert varnish, huge red rock amphitheaters, and sandstone arches, this remote and unspoiled 280,000-acre monument is a geologic treasure with some of the world's most spectacular trails and views.

The monument contains many diverse landscapes, including Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Many of the recreation areas located within the Monument require a permit. Please #KnowBeforeYouGo ([link removed]) and #RecreateResponsibly ([link removed]) .

📸 Bob Wick

#12DaysOfPublicLands ([link removed]) #YourPublicLands ([link removed]) #RecreateResponsibly ([link removed]) #TeamPublicLands ([link removed]) #BLMPublicLands ([link removed]) #PublicLand ([link removed]) #Explore ([link removed]) #Adventure ([link removed]) #Photography ([link removed]) #Landscapes ([link removed]) #NaturePhotography ([link removed]) #Nature ([link removed]) #Arizona ([link removed]) #ArizonaBLM ([link removed]) #ArizonaPublicLands
([link removed]) #VisitArizona ([link removed]) #ExploreArizona ([link removed])

@usinterior ([link removed])

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