Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Only 19 percent of BLM lands are off limits to drilling, report finds
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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Oil pump jacks in California. John Ciccarelli/BLM, Flickr ([link removed])
President Donald Trump wants to lease ([link removed]) more public lands for oil and gas drilling, but a new report ([link removed]) from The Wilderness Society found that 81 percent of all Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the Western United States are already open to oil and gas leasing.
The report, Open for Drilling ([link removed]) , says that public lands are vital for recreation, cultural heritage, wildlife conservation, and climate resilience. But the continued exploitation of public lands through oil and gas drilling puts these values at risk.
Under federal law ([link removed]) , the BLM must manage national public lands for multiple uses, such as energy development, recreation, grazing, and conservation. But with only 19 percent of BLM lands off limits to oil and gas development, there seems to be a sharp imbalance among uses.
“Oil and gas companies have a stranglehold on our national public lands and how they are managed,” said Kim Stevens, The Wilderness Society’s Climate Advocacy Director, in a statement ([link removed]) . “We must throw everything we have at taking public lands and waters back from polluters, stopping the sell-off of our public lands to the highest bidder and making them truly serve the public interest.”
Public polling ([link removed]) shows that 72 percent of Westerners, including a majority of self-identified MAGA supporters, prefer their elected officials to place more emphasis on conserving public lands over maximizing the amount of national public lands available for oil and gas production.
Why is the BLM still holding lease sales in Nevada?
In a new blog post ([link removed]) , Center for Western Priorities Creative Content and Policy Manager Lilly Bock-Brownstein explains that despite there being little interest from the oil and gas industry in drilling in Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management continues to offer public land for lease. Kathleen Sgamma, President Trump's nominee for BLM director, once stated ([link removed]) “the oil industry’s actual interest in Nevada is very small.” Read the full blog post here ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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Trump wants 'clean' coal, but there's no such thing
ABC News ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Why is the BLM still holding lease sales in Nevada?
Westwise ([link removed])
Burgum’s national monuments quandary: Follow Roosevelt or Trump?
E&E News ([link removed])
Colorado Sen. Bennet heard concerns about economy and federal firings in "private" meeting
Estes Valley Voice ([link removed])
Ducks were once a conservation bright spot. Now they’re declining in the US, new report shows
Associated Press ([link removed])
Opinion: Selling public lands to fix the housing crisis is a lie, don't believe it
RideApart ([link removed])
Plan to sell off 'underutilized' public land for affordable housing is ineffective and inefficient, experts say
Outdoor Life ([link removed])
Too many urban deer is ‘an impending disaster.’ Still, we owe them an apology
The Guardian ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” It is impossible to be a fan of Theodore Roosevelt and not to be a fan of conservation at large.”
—Ted Roosevelt V, board member of the Trust for Public Land and the great-great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, E&E News ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@grandtetonnps ([link removed])
🦌 🚨 Migration season is here—watch for wildlife on the move! As elk, pronghorn, and mule deer make their way north into Grand Teton for the summer, they often cross roads, especially near river corridors and snow-covered areas. ❄️🌊 Slow down, stay alert, and be extra cautious at dawn and dusk when animals are most active. 🦌 How can you help?
1️⃣ Obey speed limits in migration zones.
2️⃣ Scan roadsides for movement.
3️⃣ Never swerve—brake instead. Protecting wildlife starts with all of us! 💙
#WildlifeSafety ([link removed]) #DriveSlow ([link removed]) #GrandTetonWildlife ([link removed])
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