Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Federal judge orders immediate thaw of climate, infrastructure funds
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Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Oberon Solar Project in Riverside County,CA; Source: BLM California/Flickr ([link removed])
A federal judge ([link removed]) ruled that ([link removed]) federal agencies unlawfully froze funds awarded under Biden-era climate and infrastructure spending laws. The agencies, including the Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and Housing departments, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of Management and Budget, were ordered to resume disbursing the money immediately. In the Tuesday ruling ([link removed]) , Judge Mary McElroy stated that “agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President’s agenda, nor do they have unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes passed by Congress during the previous administration.” Judge McElroy was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019.
The ruling cited ([link removed]) the Supreme Court’s major questions doctrine, stating that while agencies can pause or terminate individual grants, the administration does not have “broad powers” to pause spending.
The lawsuit was brought ([link removed]) by six conservation and community nonprofits that received grants under the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress during the Biden administration. Judge McElroy issued a temporary injunction ordering the agencies to immediately take steps to resume the processing and payment of already-awarded funding while the lawsuit proceeds.
Road to 30 Postcards: Owyhee Canyonlands nominated for two regional Emmys
The Center for Western Priorities is thrilled to share that the Road to 30 Postcards: Owyhee Canyonlands ([link removed]) film is nominated for Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Cinematography in the 2024 Northwest Emmy Awards. Congratulations to Center for Western Priorities' Senior Director of Advocacy Lauren Bogard and Communications Manager Kate Groetzinger, as well as Director A.J. Carter and the team at Metropolis Media Group. Thank you to our partners at Oregon Natural Desert Association and Friends of the Owyhee.
** Quick hits
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Vivek Ramaswamy’s high school friend is working for DOGE at the Interior department
Public Domain ([link removed])
Coal-fired power plant in northwestern Colorado still set for 2028 closure despite Trump administration orders
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Opinion: The right way to use federal land for housing
New York Times ([link removed])
Public lands, private profits: Inside the Trump plan to offload federal land
Grist ([link removed])
Interior turns over 110,000 acres of BLM land at border to Army control
E&E News ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed])
Opinion: Will Native tribes secure Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Yosemite scientists now forced to clean restrooms as Trump administration cuts take their toll
SFGATE ([link removed]) | Advnture ([link removed])
Inside the anti-public lands movement in New Mexico
Searchlight New Mexico ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Minus the political pandering, it makes zero sense to try to force coal back into the picture. You might as well issue executive orders forcing a return to horses and buggies or typewriters.”
— Eric Frankowski, executive director of Western Clean Energy Campaign, Colorado Sun ([link removed])
** Picture This
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[link removed]
@whitensandsnps ([link removed])
"Land really is the best art." – Andy Warhol
You got that right, Andy! It's #WorldArtDay ([link removed]) and national parks aren’t just places—they’re masterpieces, waiting for you to explore!
National parks, as havens of natural beauty and ecological diversity, have long served as profound sources of inspiration for artists throughout history. These protected landscapes represent boundless canvases, showcasing the earth's infinite variations in color, texture, and form.
At White Sands National Park, artistry is on full display every day. Each gentle breeze sculpts the sand, showcasing the wind's brushstrokes. With every sunrise and sunset, the sky lends its palette, bathing the dunes in a cascade of colors.
So, this World Art Day, let the land inspire you and remember, "land really is the best art."
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