Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Tribes fight to defend national monument near Grand Canyon
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Tuesday, March 7, 2024
Tribal leaders and allies at the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Source: BLM, Flickr ([link removed])
The Hopi, Havasupai, and Navajo Nation are fighting a lawsuit ([link removed]) filed by Arizona lawmakers against the Biden administration. The lawsuit argues that the recently-designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument negatively impacts the state's ability to generate revenue and should not exist.
“The tribes fought very hard for the establishment of the monument and are here to defend it,” Mathew Campbell, legal counsel for the Havasupai Tribe and the Hopi Tribe, told Grist ([link removed]) .
At the heart of the lawsuit is the Antiquities Act ([link removed]) , which gives U.S. presidents the ability to designate national monuments. Arizona's lawsuit aims to undo this power, leaving the creation of national monuments to Congress. Campbell said ([link removed]) it will likely take months before the Tribes' intervention is ruled on by the court and years before the lawsuit is settled.
A similar lawsuit filed by lawmakers in Utah over the designation of Bears Ears National Monument failed in court last year. It is now in appeal ([link removed]) . The Antiquities Act has been challenged in court many times and has always emerged stronger ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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Nuns aim to stop Wall Street financing of fossil fuel development on Indigenous lands
Inside Climate News ([link removed])
Westerners suffering from radiation poisoning are on the verge of losing federal benefits
KUNC ([link removed])
How San Gabriel Mountains National Monument expansion will serve LA’s communities of color
High Country News ([link removed])
Opinion: BLM's new public lands rule is a win-win for New Mexico
Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])
Mountain West to receive millions from Interior to reopen native fish habitats
Wyoming Public Media ([link removed])
Damage to Glen Canyon Dam reveals vulnerabilities of the entire Colorado River system
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Resort at Wolf Creek ski area moves forward with court decision on Forest Service access road
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Deal to impose new fee on oil and gas in Colorado took industry by surprise
Denver Gazette ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” President Joe Biden’s expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is a triumph for the environment and a tribute to native culture.”
—Santa Rosa Press Democrat Editorial Board ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@yellowstonenps ([link removed])
Rush hour traffic can look a little different in Yellowstone, so “Enjoy the ride.”
Drive defensively and cautiously. The park has hazards on the road you aren’t used to at home (like 2,000-lb. bison). Follow speed limits and stay with your car if you’re stuck in a wildlife jam. When you want to take a photo or look around, use pullouts to avoid blocking traffic and damaging vegetation. #YellowstonePledge ([link removed])
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