Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Wyoming fails to seize control of national public land, again
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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Grand Teton National Park. Photo by chascar, Flickr ([link removed])

In a 15-15 vote on Monday, the Wyoming senate defeated ([link removed]) a proposed resolution demanding Congress transfer ownership of all federal public land excluding Yellowstone National Park to the state.

The resolution ([link removed]) was introduced late last month by Senator Bob Ide, a commercial real estate developer, who argued ([link removed]) that the measure was necessary to counteract federal overreach and theorized that the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to turn over the public land. The resolution failed despite two amendments to dilute the original proposal—the first excluded Grand Teton National Park from the demand, and the second excluded national forests, monuments, and historic sites.

The vote comes just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear ([link removed]) Utah's latest land grab lawsuit, which demanded control of over 18 million acres of national public land. These efforts add to the long list ([link removed]) of states' failed attempts to take over national public lands—efforts that remain deeply unpopular with the public ([link removed]) .

Bill would move BLM HQ back to Colorado

U.S. Representative Jeff Hurd introduced a bill ([link removed]) that would relocate the Bureau of Land Management headquarters back to Grand Junction, Colorado, following the blueprint of Project 2025 and President Donald Trump's first term. The relocation of the BLM headquarters during Trump's first term included moving hundreds of Washington-based positions to state offices across the West, but resulted in dozens of senior-level staffers leaving the bureau.


** Quick hits
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Opening more lands and waters for oil drilling won't lower energy prices

Center for American Progress ([link removed])

Alaska Legislature formally opposes Trump's renaming of Denali as Mount McKinley

Alaska Public Media ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Alaska Beacon ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])

Wyoming’s resolution transferring federal lands to the state has failed — again

Wyoming Public Media ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed]) | Jackson Hole News & Guide ([link removed])

Colorado National Monument could be reviewed, per Interior Secretary’s orders

Western Slope Now ([link removed])

These 13 national monuments may be ‘at risk’ of losing federal protections, advocates warn

USA Today ([link removed])

Column: The Fix Our Forests Act is not what it claims to be

The Climate According to Life ([link removed])

Trump freeze puts wildfire hiring in limbo

E&E News ([link removed])

An Idaho rancher lost zero cattle to wolves in a decade. Can he help Colorado ranchers do the same?

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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” We hold these lands dear. We hold these lands sacred.”

—Wyoming State Senator Mike Gierau, WyoFile ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@grandcanyonnps ([link removed])
Happy Valentine’s week! What’s something that makes Grand Canyon butte-iful? Its cool geology and rock formations, for one! Grand Canyon is more than just a canyon—it is made up of cliffs, slopes, spires, and buttes. It rocks!

A butte is a landform with steep sides and a flat top, but is smaller than similar formations like mesas and plateaus. Buttes have a harder layer of rock as a cap, with softer layers of rock underneath. Differences in hard and soft rock layers also give Grand Canyon’s walls their memorable stair-step shape.

Look for more things to love about Grand Canyon throughout the week!

#FindYourPark ([link removed]) #ValentinesDay ([link removed])

NPS Graphic/C. Kraus

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