Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Biden admin urges "consensus path" for Colorado River management
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Thursday, November 21, 2024
Lake Mead. Photo by Andrew Pernick, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Flickr ([link removed]) .
The series of agreements that govern the management of the Colorado River are set to expire at the end of 2026. The stakes for negotiating the next series of agreements are incredibly high, with 40 million Americans and over 5 million acres of farmland in southwestern and western states relying on the river in the midst of a historic and ongoing mega drought ([link removed]) .
Since March, the seven states and numerous Tribal nations that share this precious resource have struggled to reach an agreement ([link removed]) on the future management of the river—how it should be shared, and which states will bear the brunt of the most significant cuts to water use. To circumvent the gridlock, the Interior department and the Bureau of Reclamation have unveiled five possible paths forward ([link removed]) that the Biden administration will analyze for a draft environmental impact statement to be released in early 2025.
“There certainly are extremely difficult choices and trade-offs to be made, but we believe that there are ample opportunities to create a fair path to solutions that work for the entire basin,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said ([link removed]) in a news conference Wednesday. White House national climate adviser Ali Zaidi concurred about the possibility of “a consensus path,” saying ([link removed]) , “We can either remain stuck at an impasse, or we can secure a future for future generations that promises the stability and sustainability of one of our greatest natural resources.”
** Quick hits
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Report: Outdoor recreation contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy, 5 million jobs
SGB Media ([link removed])
Tribal representatives call on Biden to designate three new national monuments in California
KTLA ([link removed])
Jonathan Thompson: Governance by spite and the future of Bears Ears National Monument
The Land Desk ([link removed])
Scientists: Don't count on trees and other natural carbon sinks to stop climate change
E&E News ([link removed])
Nevada may see less solar, more gas under Trump administration
Nevada Current ([link removed])
How oil and gas companies disguise their methane emissions
Financial Times ([link removed])
Biden admin urges "consensus path" for future Colorado River management
E&E News ([link removed]) | KUNC ([link removed]) | Las Vegas Review Journal ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | The Hill
([link removed]) | Nevada Current ([link removed])
Global oil market faces 1 million barrel glut next year
Bloomberg ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” For us, it’s about more than protecting the environment. Our culture, spirituality, and identity are connected to the ecosystems our people have inhabited for thousands of years. If a species goes extinct, if a mountain is destroyed by mining, if a river runs dry due to over-extraction–that is the same thing to us as losing a relative or having someone close to us harmed. We lose a part of ourselves and our history.”
—Lena Ortega, Kw’tsán Cultural Committee Member and Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe member, KTLA ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece of a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes and tundra at @greatsanddunesnps ([link removed]) in Colorado.
We are able to protect places like Great Sand Dunes because of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. LWCF is a critical tool for preserving our nation’s cultural identity and ensuring all Americans have access to public lands and waters.
Photo by Patrick Myers / NPS
#greatsanddunes ([link removed]) #usinterior ([link removed]) #colorado ([link removed]) #publiclands ([link removed])
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