|
In a 3-2 vote, the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners approved a sale of the Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park for no less than $100 million, contingent on gubernatorial approval of the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. If completed, the sale will ensure the landscape is conserved for future generations.
The Kelly Parcel is a 640-acre parcel of state school trust land that borders Grand Teton National Park. It serves as important habitat for Rocky Mountain wildlife and connects to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems in the world. It's also an essential pronghorn migration route.
Efforts to transfer the land have been ongoing for nearly 15 years. The state had been considering auctioning off the land to the highest bidder, which piqued the interest of developers because of the area's high-value views of the iconic Teton Range. The plan received pushback, and over the past three years, thousands of Wyomingites voiced their support for conserving the parcel during public hearings and rallies.
The transaction’s completion is dependent on Governor Mark Gordon's approval of the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. The state said this will only happen if the plan is changed to include increased allowance for hunting and grazing, and if the BLM takes the governor's feedback into account in the final management plan.
Georgia's world-renowned Okefenokee Swamp could be taken out by mining
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is an important ecosystem for migratory birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, including several threatened and endangered species, yet it is under threat from a company seeking to establish a titanium dioxide mine at its doorstep. Fortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a proposal to expand the wildlife refuge in order to safeguard this unique landscape.
Read the latest blog post about the the world-renowned refuge and the effort to protect it from the impacts of mining as part of the Center for Western Priorities' Road to 30: Postcards campaign to share the stories of the people behind efforts to protect special places across the country
Look West will be taking a break on Monday, November 11 in observation of Veterans Day. We'll be back on Tuesday!
|
I am very concerned for the future of the Western U.S., the U.S. as a whole and the world, especially because we are at such a critical moment for limiting catastrophic impacts from climate change. However, history also shows that our action matters. We should not let Trump’s administration decide our future and the future of our children and grandchildren.”
