Congress falls for a new right-wing conspiracy theory
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** The new anti-conservation conspiracy theory
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Friday, January 12, 2024
Volunteers and BLM staff restore native plants on Public Lands Day in 2018, BLM Alaska ([link removed])
America’s most notorious conservation opponents have launched an all-out assault ([link removed]) on an emerging mechanism to restore and protect nature, and in the process, have scared themselves into a brand new conspiracy theory that tries to tie Wall Street investors to the Interior department and America’s public lands.
In a new Westwise blog post ([link removed]) , CWP deputy director Aaron Weiss pulls back the curtain on the conspiracy theory around Natural Asset Companies, a proposal for a new kind of company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. NACs would put a value not just on the products or resources extracted from the land, but on the land itself, and the services those ecosystems provide to the entire world—like clean air, water, habitat, and carbon storage.
The conspiracy theory around NACs has been led by American Stewards of Liberty, one of the most vocal anti-conservation groups. Now the GOP establishment, including Republican attorneys general and a congressional committee ([link removed]) , are buying into the theory as well, drawing an imaginary connection to an unrelated proposal from the Interior department, the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule ([link removed]) .
In reality, the two proposals are completely separate, and neither of them would lead to public lands being sold off, as opponents claim. So what's behind the fearmongering? As Weiss ([link removed]) explains ([link removed]) , proposals like Natural Asset Companies provide a way to put an economic value on nature itself, using the tools that already exist in modern accounting. And if your business is based entirely on extracting value from the land, it’s threatening when Wall Street suggests that there could be more economic benefit in leaving the land intact. For example, If oil companies were to account for the damage their product causes to ecosystems and the Earth’s climate, it would undoubtedly do significant damage to their balance sheets.
The BLM’s proposed conservation rule has nothing to do with this theoretical accounting future. It just happens to be moving through the regulatory process at the same time that Wall Street is considering letting some companies voluntarily account for the value of nature.
** Quick hits
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After public furor and misinformation, governor's task force offers measured feedback on BLM's plan for SW Wyoming
WyoFile ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
Column: Yes, wind turbines kill birds. But fracking is much worse
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Uranium mine starts production near the Grand Canyon despite protests from tribes
Arizona Republic ([link removed])
How Colorado's wolf reintroduction will affect prey and plants
The Conversation ([link removed])
Meet America's new firefighting team: Beavers
BBC News ([link removed])
First year of optional Keep Colorado Wild pass brings in $41 million for parks and wildlife
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Study: Wildfire smoke leaves toxic chemicals in homes, but simple steps can help
Boise State Public Radio ([link removed])
Travel in the footsteps of the 10th Mountain Division to one of America's newest national monuments
Sierra Magazine ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” These consensus-based recommendations give the BLM options to adjust management prescriptions in a targeted way, to meet the needs of local economies, recreation and conservation interests.”
—Alec Underwood, Wyoming Outdoor Council, E&E News ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
The snowshoe hare has many tricks that help it survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the forest. They gain their curious name from their large hind feet lined with stiff hairs that form a snowshoe, supporting their weight on the surface of the snow.
They blend in well with their surroundings because of their seasonal variation in fur color, from brown in summer to almost pure white in winter. The gradual shedding of their coat and the replacement of their guard hairs occurs twice a year, triggered by changes in day length.
Photo by Loren Merrill
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