** How climate inaction threatens public lands recreation
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FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020
[link removed]
Center for Western Priorities ([link removed])

The impacts of climate change are being felt on public lands across the country. From lengthened fire seasons ([link removed]) to decreased snowpack ([link removed]) , research shows that public lands are changing more rapidly ([link removed]) than the country as a whole. A new series of fact sheets ([link removed]) from the Center for Western Priorities highlights the ways climate change is impacting everything from hunting and fishing to rivers and trails.

A new study in the journal Science ([link removed]) finds that forests around the world are becoming younger and shorter because of the dual impacts of climate change and deforestation. Lead author Nate McDowell told Bloomberg ([link removed]) that old-growth forests—with trees older than 140 years—have declined by 30 percent globally since 1900. The study comes as the Trump administration is considering removing protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, which is the world's largest temperate old-growth rainforest and holds 8 percent of the carbon stored in U.S. forests.


** Reopening parks? It's complicated
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Leadership at Rocky Mountain National Park wants to implement a timed reservation system ([link removed]) to facilitate a partial reopening while avoiding the crowds that led to Zion National Park closing its gates early ([link removed]) over Memorial Day weekend. The catch is that while the reservation plan is supported by the gateway town of Estes Park ([link removed]) , it has not been approved by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who has not given park superintendents authority over how to safely re-open parks (or leave them closed) to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.

The New York Times also takes a look at the challenges of re-opening campgrounds ([link removed]) at state and local parks across the West. The bottom line? Campers need to be extra prepared and self-sufficient. “Plan as if you are going to the moon,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife tweeted ([link removed]) .
Quick hits


** Breaking: Inspector General finds Assistant Interior Secretary used office for personal gain
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Associated Press ([link removed]) | Center for Western Priorities ([link removed]) (Statement)


** Trump's fossil fuel agenda keeps running afoul of the law
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Climate change creates challenges for forests, wildfire management, recreation
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Center for Western Priorities ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed]) | Capital Press ([link removed])


** Renewable energy surpassed coal in 2019
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CNN Business ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed]) | Wall Street Journal ([link removed])


** Federal court takes up Cliven Bundy retrial request today
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NPR ([link removed])


** Opinion: Park Service is wrong to allow killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Climbers, conservationists unite behind Indigenous nations to defend Bears Ears
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Sierra ([link removed])


** Why Valley of the Gods inspires such reverence
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Smithsonian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
We have different histories, ceremonies, and worldviews, but there are also universal values across each of these unique cultures with connections to Bears Ears. That’s the beauty of Bears Ears. There is not just one culture, society, or language that can fully emphasize how important this landscape is to all of us as Indigenous peoples, as humans.”
—Alastair Bitsoi, Utah Diné Bikéyah, Sierra Magazine ([link removed])
Picture this


** @mypubliclands ([link removed])
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The sapphire blue waters of this glacial cirque lake are fed by melting snows from the surrounding 13,000 ft. peaks. The lake is located in the Handies Peak Wilderness Study area on #publiclands ([link removed]) managed by Bureau of Land Management - Colorado. Bright yellow alpine sunflowers are among a handful of wildflowers that can grow here in the harsh tundra at 12,000 feet, while Colorado Columbine, lupine and many other varieties are found below. The San Juan’s are bisected by the Continental Divide and have a rich history of gold and silver mining. Many historic structures still dot the mountainsides where miners endured harsh conditions to seek their fortune. Jeep Trails provide experienced drivers access to many of the high passes while hikers climb the highest peaks. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.

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