Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Elon Musk vs. your summer vacation
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Monday, March 24, 2025
Camping in Yosemite National Park. Paxson Woelber, CC-BY 2.0 ([link removed])
Elon Musk's DOGE cuts are disrupting summer travel plans across America's national parks. Business Insider ([link removed]) reports that uncertainty stemming from DOGE-mandated firings is already taking a toll on the gateway communities that drive America's outdoor economy.
Lee Zimmerman, the co-owner of a company that owns or manages three resorts near Yosemite National Park, told BI ([link removed]) that "Summer bookings are way down over what we've ever seen before."
"People have been canceling reservations they already made," confirmed Shirley Horn ([link removed]) with the Highway 120 Chamber of Commerce. "The amount of reservations that should be getting in right now, that's been slowed down significantly."
A reduction in foreign tourism could significantly harm park communities. The CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce said that a number of repeat Canadian visitors have made it clear ([link removed]) they don't want to visit the U.S. this year. NPR reports that several European countries have issued travel advisories ([link removed]) for visitors planning American vacations.
** Quick hits
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Musk's layoffs, slow pace of mining could stymie Trump's wartime powers order
E&E News ([link removed]) | Bloomberg Law ([link removed]) | Inside Climate News ([link removed]) | Outdoor Life ([link removed])
Trump's love of coal crashes into economic reality
Bloomberg ([link removed])
Corner-crossing ruling in Wyoming could have ripple effect across the country
NBC Montana ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | Spokesman-Review ([link removed])
Confusion abounds over the status of two national monuments in California
New York Times ([link removed])
Idahoans rally to defend public lands against privatization
KTVB ([link removed])
Montanans testify against bill to sell off state land
Missoula Current ([link removed])
Colorado's hot spring operators are getting nervous about geothermal energy
CPR News ([link removed])
Even as lithium prices drop, industry expansion is still underway in Nevada
Nevada Independent ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Trump’s order is an invitation to the oligarchs/plutocrats to plunder the public’s resources for nothing.”
—Prof. John Leshy, University of California College of the Law, Bloomberg Law ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
A crescent moon sets over the snow-covered peaks of @glaciernps ([link removed]) , casting a serene glow on the landscape.
Photo by Autumn Schrock
Alt Text: A snow-capped mountain reflects in a partially frozen lake at sunset, with a crescent moon hanging above the peaks.
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