Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** The insidious ways Burgum's day one orders target public lands
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Thursday, February 6, 2025
Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, U.S. Department of the Interior ([link removed])
On his first day as Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum issued six secretarial orders ([link removed]) (SOs) focused on implementing President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda. While several of the orders are copies of President Trump’s day one executive orders, SO 3418 - Unleashing American Energy ([link removed]) takes new aim at Western public lands, going even further than the Trump EOs.
In a new Westwise blog post ([link removed]) , Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Rachael Hamby highlights a few of the less-obvious ways Burgum's SO puts drilling and mining above all else, including:
* Setting the stage for Trump to attempt to shrink or erase national monuments;
* Tossing out resource management plans, including pet targets such as the Rock Springs RMP in Wyoming;
* Erasing habitat protections to make room for mining in the name of national security;
* Clearing the way for mining companies to dump mining waste on public lands.
If brought to fruition, Burgum’s orders could completely upend public land management and cause irreparable harm to the West’s landscapes, wildlife habitats, climate, and communities. As overwhelming majorities of Westerners have known all along, what the Trump administration is proposing is a recipe for squandering America’s most precious asset: our iconic and priceless public lands protected for future generations. Learn more about the orders on CWP's Westwise blog ([link removed]) .
In an energy-producing district, conservation is a winning issue
The Center for Western Priorities Winning the West report ([link removed]) , released earlier this week, analyzed several key U.S. senate and congressional races in Western states and found that support for conservation gave candidates an edge in 2024. In New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, Gabe Vasquez emphasized his track record on conservation, demonstrating that public lands advocacy can build a base of support across party lines. For more analysis of this and other races, visit the Winning the West website ([link removed]) to see polling results and read the report ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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Arizona legislators lose bid to block Grand Canyon monument protections
Arizona Mirror ([link removed])
What the future of energy and public lands could look like under the Trump administration
KJZZ ([link removed])
Trump vows to cut oil and gas rules as New Mexico looks to fight back
Capital & Main ([link removed])
$13 billion in Idaho gold. A mineral critical to U.S. defense. And fresh fears for salmon
Idaho Statesman ([link removed])
Texas regulators grapple with a growing problem: Old oil wells leaking polluted water
Texas Tribune ([link removed])
How renewable energy companies are tailoring their pitches for the Trump era
Washington Post ([link removed])
Water scarcity could hamper Trump's push for data centers
E&E News ([link removed])
Cultural fire is the Washoe Tribe’s answer to beat back climate-fueled wildfires
KUNR ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” I hope that folks who oppose the monument will come to understand how broad the support is for national monuments like Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni and that we can move on to planning the monument management in a productive, meaningful way.”
—Aaron Paul, Grand Canyon Trust, Arizona Mirror ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@greatsanddunesnps ([link removed])
Snowfall doesn't just cover the dunes - it transforms them into an ethereal world of light and color. In winter, the park is quieter and the pace is slower, allowing more space for wonder.
Photo: NPS/Patrick Myers 2025
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