Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities

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


** Emails raise questions about Dolores monument poll objectivity
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Thursday, July 18, 2024
Dolores River canyon. Photo by Center for Western Priorities.

Documents obtained by the Center for Western Priorities revealed that a poll commissioned by Mesa County, Colorado to gauge support for the Dolores River Canyons National Monument proposal was first drafted by opponents of the monument ([link removed]) .

Dennis Webb, a reporter for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, reviewed the documents obtained by CWP through a Colorado Open Records Act request. As Webb writes in his story ([link removed]) , the documents show that Mesa County commissioners put their thumb on the scale to rewrite questions so they would lead to the responses commissioners wanted; County commissioners instructed the pollsters at Magellan Strategies to hide Mesa County’s involvement in the poll despite spending thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to conduct the poll; and that Magellan Strategies released the results despite its awareness that the link to the survey was being passed around on social media, resulting in a non-random sample.

Poll respondents were invited to participate via a text message sent out on April 24 in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties. The monument proposal covers nearly 400,000 acres mostly in Mesa and Montrose counties, but also in San Miguel County. After the poll’s release, Mesa County commissioners came out against the monument proposal. The emails released to the Center for Western Priorities make no indication ([link removed]) that any proponents of the monument proposal were consulted on the survey questions before the poll was conducted.

New podcast: Hitting the trail with Disabled Hikers founder Syren Nagakyrie

On the latest episode of The Landscape ([link removed]) , Kate and Aaron talk to Syren Nagakyrie, founder and director of Disabled Hikers ([link removed]) , a nonprofit group seeking to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities. Nagakyrie has been outspoken about the tokenization of disabled hikers by U.S. Senator Mike Lee, who recently filed a bill ([link removed]) called the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act that encourages road building on public lands. Nagakyrie called the bill ([link removed]) “a blatant attempt to scapegoat disability as an excuse to build more roads.” According to Nagakyrie, what disabled people really need to access the outdoors is good information and well-maintained trails.


** Quick hits
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Oil companies are thriving as the world pushes for more clean energy

New York Times ([link removed])

Emails raise questions about Dolores monument poll objectivity

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed])

Visiting a national park? Here's how you can pay homage to the Tribal land it's on

LAist ([link removed])

Rural officials tell Nevada lawmakers they can't keep up with flood of proposed clean energy projects

Nevada Current ([link removed])

Texas' Blackwell School becomes newest National Historic Site

The Hill ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])

The city of Craig's importance to Colorado's just energy transition away from coal

Colorado Newsline ([link removed])

Rare fish could be key to Nevada community's fight against a lithium mine

Inside Climate News ([link removed])

Invasive zebra mussels found in Colorado River

Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” As more and more Americans seek out nature and outdoor recreation, it’s more important than ever to guarantee equal access to outdoor spaces. Reservation systems are a critical tool for conserving our public lands and ensuring visitors have the space to explore the outdoors, but we must ensure they are designed so they can serve as a gateway to the outdoors, rather than a barrier.”

—California Senator Alex Padilla, National Parks Traveler ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@nationalparkservice ([link removed])
NEW! Blackwell School National Historic Site has been formally established as the nation’s newest national historic site within the National Park System. For 56 years, the Blackwell School educated the Mexican and Mexican American children of Marfa, Texas. The designation is an important step in telling a more diverse and inclusive history of the Mexican American experience. Today, the Blackwell School consists of the original 1909 adobe schoolhouse and a smaller 1927 classroom building known as the Band Hall. The buildings contain photographs, memorabilia, and interpretive panels that feature quotes and stories from students and teachers.

Today’s announcement is the result of support and contributions from the Blackwell School Alliance, National Parks Conservation Association, National Park Foundation, Marfa Independent School District, and the City of Marfa. The site is currently open to the public with limited hours and services. The Blackwell School Alliance, a local non-profit founded by Blackwell School alumni, is partnering with the National Park Service to provide visitor services at the site.

Visit www.nps.gov/blsc to learn more about the park.

Images: Exterior view of Blackwell School; rows of school desks inside the Blackwell School building, Blackwell School fence sign NPS/TVillareal

#nationalpark ([link removed]) #texas ([link removed]) #marfatexas ([link removed]) #travel ([link removed]) #historic ([link removed]) #school ([link removed]) #education ([link removed]) #nationalhistoricsite ([link removed])

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