Decades of precedent has upheld the Property Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says that Congress has control over the transfer of federal lands

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


** Utah's land grab lawsuit is 'doomed to fail'
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, November 4, 2024
Needles Overlook in Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Flickr ([link removed])

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador recently joined ([link removed]) Utah's baseless attempt to seize control of 18 million acres of national public land.

An editorial ([link removed]) by the Lewiston Tribune describes Labrador's support for the Utah lawsuit as a discredited retread that is "doomed to fail," noting that Idaho lawmakers tried to take ownership of federal public land over a decade ago and failed. That's because suing the federal government in an attempt to transfer federal public lands to the state ignores the Property Clause of the U.S. Constitution ([link removed].\) , which states that Congress has absolute control over the transfer of federal lands.

Decades of precedent has upheld the Property Clause, and attempts to challenge it have resulted in hundreds of thousands ([link removed]) of taxpayer dollars wasted. Utah's lawsuit could cost taxpayers substantially more than that, as the state is expected to pay ([link removed]) at least $14 million in legal fees.

Taxpayer dollars aside, public lands in Utah could suffer if control of the land is transferred to the state. In a recent episode of the Landscape Podcast ([link removed]) , Backcountry Hunters & Anglers CEO Patrick Berry describes how the likely privatization of these lands would cause wildlife habitat fragmentation and diminish hunting and fishing access.


** Quick hits
------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial: Raúl Labrador is oblivious to precedent upholding Congressional authority over public lands

Lewiston Tribune ([link removed])

Forest Service hiring freeze sparks concerns in northwest Colorado

KUNC ([link removed])

Alaska governor awards $1 million in state funds to Indigenous group backing oil drilling

The Guardian ([link removed])

Forest therapy for wildfire survivors

High Country News ([link removed])

Black bear density in Yellowstone's Northern Range is highest in Northern Rockies

Bozeman Daily Chronicle ([link removed].)

Conservation groups say Arizona is not doing enough to protect the San Pedro River

Arizona Republic ([link removed])

Report: Retrofitting businesses with fire-resiliency measures

Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])

Beloved Grizzly 399's ashes spread in Grand Teton National Park

Associated Press ([link removed]) | Wyoming Public Radio ([link removed]) | USA Today ([link removed]) | New York Post ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
------------------------------------------------------------

” She was a living legend, and she became this ambassador for her species and a kind of rallying symbol for people working to conserve American public lands.”

—Jack Bayles, wildlife tour guide, New York Post ([link removed])


** Picture This
------------------------------------------------------------

@usinterior ([link removed])
A gang of elk
A romp of otters
An unkindness of ravens
A gaze of raccoons
A descent of woodpeckers
A scold of jays
A parliament of owls
A prickle of porcupines
A skulk of foxes
A muster of storks
A coterie of prairie dogs
A pod of pelicans
A run of salmon

What groups of animals have you seen on your adventures?

#wildlife ([link removed]) #animals ([link removed]) #usinterior ([link removed])

============================================================
** Website ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([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])