Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Report shows bipartisan support for keeping public lands public
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Friday, April 18, 2025
Hikers in Glacier National Park. Jacob W. Frank ([link removed]) , NPS ([link removed])
A new report ([link removed]) from Trust for Public Land ([link removed]) outlines how public lands are a cherished national resource and a powerful driver of economic growth and community health. The report, entitled America Needs More Public Lands, Not Less ([link removed]) , highlights the rising demand for public lands, and warns of the consequences of underfunding and privatizing public land.
The report finds that America's public lands are more popular than ever, and Americans oppose efforts to sell public lands. National Parks welcomed 331.9 million visitors in 2024, more than the top 10 built tourist attractions combined. Outdoor recreation supports a $1.2 trillion economy and sustains five million jobs, powering local businesses and gateway communities. Across political parties, proposals to sell or transfer these lands are wildly unpopular. New polling data commissioned by Trust for Public Land and conducted by YouGov ([link removed]) shows that over 70 percent of Americans oppose the sale of public lands, including 61 percent of Trump voters.
“We are living in a golden age of outdoor recreation,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser ([link removed]) , president and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “Americans love their public lands. People want greater protection of existing lands, and they are eager for more opportunities to explore and connect to new landscapes.”
How the White House is making federal permitting less efficient
On the latest episode of The Landscape ([link removed]) , Kate and Aaron nerd out with John Ruple, public lands professor at the University of Utah and a former member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) about recent changes to how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is being implemented across federal agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service.
** Quick hits
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Feds to move ahead on Oak Flat copper mine swap in Arizona, despite pending Supreme Court case
Arizona Republic ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
Senator Hickenlooper’s Western Slope tour reveals growing frustration over Trump’s public lands policy
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Trump wants to log more forests. Will it really help prevent wildfires?
Science ([link removed])
Coloradans weigh in on Trump's executive order expediting mining
9News ([link removed])
DOGE cuts at New Mexico's national parks create alarm, anxiety
Public News Service ([link removed])
Report: America's most endangered rivers of 2025
American Rivers ([link removed])
Opinion: Selling off public lands is not an affordable housing fix
Colorado Newsline ([link removed])
Forest Service changes to Rabbit Ears Pass mountain bike project have advocates hopping mad
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” It really just is a full-on attack on outdoor recreation in the United States. Anyone who camps, hikes, bikes, climbs — anyone who enjoys our public lands should be shocked and concerned about the attacks.”
—Kate Groetzinger, Center for Western Priorities communications manager, Public News Service ([link removed])
** Picture This
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[link removed]
@rockynps ([link removed])
🦇 Today we are celebrating bats! These incredible mammals play an important role in the ecosystem. 🦇
Rocky Mountain National Park is home to 9 species of bats. While the big brown bat, hoary bat, fringed myotis and Townsend’s big-eared bat have long been suspected to reside in the park, these species were recently identified and confirmed in RMNP as part of on-going bat research in collaboration with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University.
Bats utilize a diverse range of habitats in Rocky and are often found near water sources or forest clearings. Here in Rocky, bats don't live in caves. Biologists have detected bats using acoustic monitors at elevations ranging from between 7,600 feet in elevation to 11,350 feet in elevation. They inhabit a variety of areas in montane and subalpine life zones, including places with sagebrush, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir trees.
Fun Fact - Five species of bats have been detected in Rocky Mountain National Park in areas above 11,000 feet in elevation.
Bats are also facing a number of threats, including disease. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, also known as Pd, is an invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS). White-nose syndrome is a fatal disease that impacts bats. Pd can spread rapidly, primarily through bat-to-bat contact.
Thank you to Rocky Mountain Conservancy for their support of bat education! To learn more about Rocky's bats, visit [link removed]
Image Credit: NPS Photo - Little brown bat
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