|
Key news from May:
- The Bureau of Land Management was slammed all month for pushing drilling near Chaco Culture National Historical Park via virtual meetings. Many of those living in the area lack solid internet connectivity, and tribes in the region have struggled with the coronavirus pandemic. After repeated requests, Interior Secretary Bernhardt finally agreed to extend the comment period for the region’s land management plan.
- National parks have begun to reopen over the course of this month with minimal guidance and over objections from rangers and tribes. The reopening of parks drive concerns about spikes in coronavirus cases resulting from overcrowding.
- Western leaders are pushing Congress to include full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide resources for national park maintenance backlog projects in the next coronavirus aid bill.
- The Interior Department was sued over the sustained use of “acting” directors, after Interior renewed the temporary appointments of several Interior officials. Both William Perry Pendley (currently in charge of the Bureau of Land Management), and David Vela (currently in charge of the National Park Service) had their terms extended. This was the fourth time that Mr. Pendley’s tenure was extended.
- The Bureau of Land Management slapped solar and wind operators with retroactive rent bills in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the BLM handed drillers royalty cuts and continued lease sales, bypassing normal processes.
- The collapse of the oil industry is set to devastate oil-dependent state budgets. With many oil workers laid off, states are asking the Trump administration to pay oil workers to plug abandoned wells. However, the need to use COVID-19 recovery funds to clean up oil wells shows the failure of state bonding requirements.
- Oil and gas leases were cancelled across the West. A federal judge cancelled leases in Montana because of the Bureau of Land Management’s failure to provide any analysis of potential environmental impacts, including risks to groundwater. Later, a federal judge cancelled leases in both Montana and Wyoming because of Trump administration failures to protect the greater sage-grouse.
- The Bureau of Land Management is investigating claims that Ryan Bundy illegally built irrigation trenches across Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada.
- A new analysis from the Center for American Progress found that President Trump is the most anti-conservation president in history. Trump is the only president in history to remove more land protection than he added.
What to watch for in June:
- After extensive bipartisan collaboration, the Senate is expected to vote on the Great American Outdoors Act in June. The bipartisan legislation would ensure full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and address public lands maintenance backlogs.
- The temporary Interior appointments of William Perry Pendley as acting director of the Bureau of Land Management and David Vela as acting director of the National Park Service expire again on June 5th. President Trump has yet to nominate someone to serve permanently in either position.
- National parks and public lands locations of interest are expected to continue reopening around the country even in the face of public health concerns.
- Congress is expected to continue considering additional stimulus packages, which could include bailouts for oil companies or funding for public lands maintenance and job creation.
- The Road to 30 Virtual Tour will be holding its second event. Stay tuned for details!
|
|
From oil boom to doom in the Permian Basin
New York Times
Jackson, Wyoming relies on summer tourism revenue associated with Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks
National Geographic
Increased interest in bird watching takes flight amid pandemic
Associated Press
The "30 by 30" plan to save the natural world
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration has reversed almost 100 environmental rules with more rollbacks in the works
New York Times
Millions of Americans live within a half mile of a fracking site and are more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses
Grist
Coronavirus stimulus money that could go to clean energy will be wasted on fossil fuels
Vox | The Verge
|
|
|
From the Center for Western Priorities:
|
|
The Road to 30 Virtual Tour
The Center for Western Priorities is “hitting the road” for a virtual tour around the West to discuss the bold vision of protecting 30 percent of America by 2030. We will be traveling alongside congressional 30x30 leader U.S. Senator Tom Udall and meeting with local conservation leaders along the way, exploring how this goal can benefit communities and public health and help with economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak.
This month, we kicked off the tour alongside the Sierra Club, Senator Tom Udall, and Dr. Enric Sala.
|
|
Tracking the Interior Department’s remaining policy changes impacting lands, water, and wildlife
|
|
|
Protecting 30 percent of America's lands and waters by 2030 starts locally
|
|
|
Whether in the sun or the snow, climate change is impacting your recreation on public lands
|
|
|
|
A conversation with Phil Francis, the chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, and Joan Anzelmo, a longtime spokesperson for numerous National Park Service units, about Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s rush to reopen national parks despite warnings from career NPS staff about risks to employees and the public.
|
|
"By hook or by crook, Big Oil is going to try to get a bailout while small businesses shutter. It is deplorable to spend good money after bad and waste taxpayer dollars on an industry that has been struggling for years due to bad business decisions."
|
|
|
|
|
