Public lands news wrap-up from May


** May, in brief
------------------------------------------------------------
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks with a park ranger at Joshua Tree National Park near the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. @SecDebHaaland, X ([link removed]) .


** Key news from May:
------------------------------------------------------------
* President Joe Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand two California national monuments ([link removed]) : San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. With these expansions, President Biden is less than 100,000 acres away ([link removed]) from protecting more public land with the Antiquities Act than any first-term president in recent history, and the country is one step closer to reaching the national goal ([link removed]) of protecting and conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument ([link removed]) expansion adds 106,000 acres
to the existing monument, protecting some of the most accessible public lands for over 18 million people in Greater Los Angeles. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument ([link removed]) expansion adds 13,696 acres of land sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation to the monument and changes the area’s official name to Molok Luyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the Patwin language.
* The Bureau of Land Management released draft resource management plans (RMPs) for two field offices in Wyoming and Montana. The plans would block any future coal lease sales across the Buffalo ([link removed]) and Miles City ([link removed]) field offices, while allowing existing coal mining to continue. The BLM estimates that federal coal mining in Wyoming would continue through 2041, and through 2060 at Montana’s Rosebud mine. The revised management plans replace Trump-era plans that were struck down ([link removed]) by the courts in 2022. The court ordered the Biden administration to take into account the effect of greenhouse gases and pollution from future coal production, and to consider alternatives
that reduced or eliminated coal leasing.
* Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited ([link removed]) the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California. If designated as a national monument, the 600,000-acre landscape would protect rich biodiversity and connect a historically important travel route for Indigenous peoples. The secretary's visit indicates that the Biden administration is seriously considering the monument proposal. The proposed national monument is supported by numerous entities, including conservation groups, community members, and local Tribes who have significant cultural and ancestral connections to the area. Elected officials are also in support of the monument—last fall, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Raul Ruiz called on ([link removed]) President Joe Biden to establish the Chuckwalla
National Monument. As part of our Road to 30: Postcards campaign ([link removed]) , the Center for Western Priorities released a short video ([link removed]) showcasing the area's stunning geology, colorful wildflowers, and diverse wildlife.
* The Department of Defense (DOD) announced ([link removed]) five new sentinel landscapes in New Mexico, Utah, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and California. Sentinel landscapes are a unique form of landscape conservation that protects natural resources, strengthens military readiness, and enhances resilience to climate change. Part of the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership ([link removed]) , these designations represent a collaboration among DOD and the departments of Agriculture and Interior. The five new landscapes will add over 10 million acres of land to the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, significantly adding to the 4.4 million acres that have been enrolled since it started in 2013. In the West, the Eastern New Mexico Sentinel Landscape includes 2.4 million acres and the Great Salt Lake Sentinel
Landscape in Utah includes over 2.7 million acres. The largest new sentinel landscape is in California, where the Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape spans nearly 3.5 million acres.
* The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released ([link removed]) a final rule updating planning and funding requirements for the nation's electric grid. Owners of transmission facilities and infrastructure will now be required to plan 20 years ahead, consider a broader set of benefits, and take into account factors including anticipated changes to the mix of energy sources, renewable energy requirements in different states, and weather risks. The new rule also addresses who pays for new transmission. Some states that would host transmission lines but that are unenthusiastic about renewable energy have argued that they should not have to pay to help other states achieve their renewable energy goals, effectively giving individual states veto power over multistate transmission proposals. The new rule provides guidelines for developing cost-allocation formulas to help overcome these
objections.


** What to watch for in June:
------------------------------------------------------------
* June is Pride Month! The National Park Service reversed a recent decision ([link removed]) to ban employees from wearing uniforms at Pride events
* Colorado's legislative session has wrapped, keep an eye out for CWP's Colorado State Legislative Summary in June
* The comment period ([link removed]) for the BLM's sage grouse management plan ([link removed]) ends June 13, 2024
* Will President Biden designate any new national monuments?
* Will President Biden use the Antiquities Act to make conservation history ([link removed]) ?


** From the Center for Western Priorities:
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]


** 2023 Spills Tracker: Drilling-related spills up in Wyoming, down in New Mexico and Colorado in 2023
------------------------------------------------------------

Across the West, spills from oil and gas extraction take a toll on lands, waters, wildlife, and communities. In Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming—the Mountain West’s top oil and gas-producing states—companies report thousands of spills each year, which release toxic materials such as crude oil and polluted water.

Each year, the Center for Western Priorities analyzes state-level data ([link removed]) for wells on private, federal, and state land. All three states included in this report ([link removed]) require oil and gas companies, or well operators, to file a report each time oil or drilling materials are spilled. New Mexico also requires operators to report incidents of routine and emergency methane venting and flaring (methane waste events).

Operators in New Mexico and Colorado reported a decrease in drilling-related spills in 2023 as compared to 2022, while the number of reported spills in Wyoming went up in 2023. Operators in New Mexico also reported a sharp increase in the volume of methane wasted through flaring.

Over time, the amount of drilling-related liquid spilled in each state included in this report has gone down relative to the amount of oil produced annually. In Colorado, the amount of drilling-related liquid spilled annually has gone down slightly since 1999, while annual oil production has gone up over the past decade. In New Mexico, the amount of drilling-related liquid spilled annually has increased slightly since 2014, while annual oil production has increased steadily. In Wyoming, the amount of drilling-related liquid spilled annually has gone down since 2017, while annual oil production has stayed about the same. This indicates that regulations meant to curb spills are effective and do not negatively impact production.
Read the report ([link removed])
[link removed]


** Why the Russian uranium ban won’t — and shouldn’t — lead to more uranium mining in the U.S. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Why ramping up domestic uranium mining on Western public lands does nothing to reduce reliance on Russia or advance the energy transition.

[link removed]


** 2024 State Legislative Debrief: Idaho ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Summary of the public lands, wildlife, energy, and outdoor recreation bills in this year's Idaho legislative session.

[link removed]

Aaron and Kate are joined by Kristen Miller ([link removed]) , Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League ([link removed]) , to talk about some big steps to protect public lands in Alaska made by the Biden administration this spring. They include increased protections for 13 million acres inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, as well as the cancellation of a proposed 200-mile road that would have stretched across part of Alaska called the Ambler Road.
[link removed]

Aaron and Kate are joined by ([link removed]) Davina Smith, who represents the Navajo Nation onthe Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition ([link removed]) , and Lauren Henson, who is the Collaborative Management and Tribal Support Specialist for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, to talk about the Bears Ears draft monument management plan, which came out in March ([link removed]) . We talk about how the draft plan came together and how to get involved.
Best Reads of the Month


** Colorado's oil and gas wars are over—for now
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** The far right has a plan to destroy America's national monuments
------------------------------------------------------------

Outside ([link removed])


** Adaptive equipment is making national parks more inclusive
------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Post ([link removed])


** Editorial: Biden expanded two national monuments in California. Three more to go
------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Times ([link removed])


** Review begins for first 'FAST-41' critical minerals project in Arizona
------------------------------------------------------------

Tuscon Sentinel ([link removed])


** Navajo activist fights toxic waste well near Chaco Canyon
------------------------------------------------------------

Capital and Main ([link removed])


** Report: Top oil firms’ climate pledges failing on almost every metric
------------------------------------------------------------

The Guardian ([link removed])


** The world found the Owyhees—advocates say it's time to protect it
------------------------------------------------------------

Idaho Statesman ([link removed])


** Colorado to shield wetlands and streams after U.S. Supreme Court left them vulnerable
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** California’s first Black land trust fights climate change, makes the outdoors more inclusive
------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Quote of the month


** “The importance of designating national monuments goes beyond broad numbers of saving this square footage or percentage. It goes into saving and recognizing our history.”
------------------------------------------------------------


** —Mark Magaña ([link removed]) , founding member of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition and founding CEO of GreenLatinos
------------------------------------------------------------
Picture this
[link removed]


** @nationalparkservic ([link removed]) e ([link removed])

------------------------------------------------------------
Borb is the worb!

Borb or floof? What about a birb? These are the questions. Do we have the answer? We have an answer. According to science*, a birb is a smaller, playful bird with vibrant feathers and a cheerful demeanor. Not always. They are known for their energetic chirps and quick movements as they flit from branch to branch in search of food.

A borb is a bit more well-rounded, with a fluffy appearance and a laid-back attitude. These marshmallows with wings are often seen perched on a branch, taking their time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

A floof is a bird with an abundance of feathers that give it a floofy/fluffy appearance. They are gentle and graceful creatures, full of floof and gliding effortlessly through the air with a quiet elegance.

*Possibly not science.

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2024 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])