Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Extreme politicians are trying to erase America's national parks and monuments
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Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Bears Ears buttes inside Bears Ears National Monument; Source: Bruce Rinehart, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed])
A new report from the Center for American Progress identifies the members of Congress ([link removed]) working to dismantle protections for America’s most beloved public lands.
The congressional antiparks caucus is a group of 28 extreme members of Congress ([link removed]) who have introduced more than one and/or co-sponsored three or more antiparks bills and/or signed onto a legal amicus brief that attempts to undermine presidential authority to protect public lands via the Antiquities Act.
The antiparks agenda includes bills that seek to ([link removed]) overturn public land conservation actions or rules seize and sell public lands; weaken, dismantle, or undermine the Antiquities Act; expand drilling or mining on protected public lands; limit habitat conservation; exclude the public from engaging in decision-making on land management; attack protections of specific public lands; weaken Tribal sovereignty on lands and waters; and more.
The antiparks agenda has many parallels ([link removed]) to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan ([link removed]) , a far-right policy wish list for a future administration. This risk is neither understated nor theoretical. It is being carried out by lawmakers right now.
** Quick hits
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Senate committee takes up coal mining, grazing, wildfire bills
E&E News ([link removed])
Senator Wyden teams up with Republican lawmaker on public lands grazing bill
Central Oregonian ([link removed])
BLM to hold meeting on proposed Chuckwalla National Monument
Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree ([link removed])
People keep camping in an active burn zone in Colorado, angering Forest Service
Denver 7 Colorado News ([link removed])
Time’s run out for the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act
Source New Mexico ([link removed])
Senator Bennet visits proposed Dolores national monument, urges locals to continue talks
Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | KJCT ([link removed])
BLM shrinks proposed size of controversial Idaho wind farm
Associated Press ([link removed])
Are trails in Colorado harming wildlife?
5280 ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” I believe the national monument provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to proactively manage this landscape. A criticism I hear about the possible national monument in Mesa and Montrose counties is that it would limit access. I'd like to offer a less binary framing that a monument would not limit access, but rather help plan for and improve access for the future.”
—Rica Fulton ([link removed]) , Dolores River Boating Advocates advocacy and stewardship director
** Picture This
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@m ([link removed]) ypubliclands ([link removed])
Happy 24th anniversary to Arizona's Ironwood Forest National Monument! 🎊
This monument, encompassing 129,000 acres, takes its name from one of the longest-living trees in the Arizona desert and hosts a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000-year period.
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