Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Trump administration expected to shrink six national monuments
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Thursday, April 24, 2025
Bears Ears National Monument - Indian Creek. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM ([link removed]) .
The Trump administration is considering removing protections for multiple national monuments ([link removed]) across the Western United States in an effort to bolster drilling and mining on public lands, according to two people within the Interior department who are familiar with the plans.
According to the internal sources, Interior department officials have identified at least six national monument to scale back protections following the objective in the Interior department draft strategic plan ([link removed]) that was leaked on Tuesday to make sure national monuments are “assessed and correctly sized.” The list ([link removed]) includes Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon and Ironwood Forest in Arizona, Chuckwalla in California, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico, and Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. The sources spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because no final decisions had been
made.
Conservation and Indigenous advocates argue that the monuments represent vital ecological and sacred cultural sites and artifacts that local communities worked for decades to protect, and there is little demand to develop mineral resources within their boundaries. Tracy Stone-Manning, the new head of The Wilderness Society and the former director of the Bureau of Land Management under President Joe Biden said ([link removed]) , “They opened up Grand Staircase under the previous [Trump] administration and the coal market did not rush in, the oil and gas market did not rush in, nobody rushed in. There are plenty of minerals elsewhere. This is about an ideological battle.”
New blog: The devil is in the details when it comes to building affordable housing on public lands
In a new blog post ([link removed]) , Center for Western Priorities Communications Manager Kate Groetzinger dives into the details of the complicated issue of affordable housing and public lands. Groetzinger writes ([link removed]) , "Without proper guardrails to ensure affordability and contain sprawl, turning public land over to developers will do nothing to bring down housing costs." In March, the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management told the press ([link removed]) that his agency is looking into the suitability of selling public lands within a 10-mile radius of towns in the West for housing development. An analysis by the Center for American Progress
([link removed]) of the 10 Western states with the most BLM-managed land found that less than one percent of that land is located within 10 miles of the states’ significant population centers. “Efforts to build housing on public lands that don’t include meaningful density and affordability requirements are nothing more than a Trojan horse to privatize a vital public asset that increases quality of life for everyone, regardless of income, in the West,” Groetzinger writes ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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Trump administration expected to shrink six national monuments
Washington Post ([link removed])
Interior to dramatically decrease environmental reviews before permitting drilling and mining projects
New York Times ([link removed])
Has Burgum abdicated his authority to DOGE?
E&E News ([link removed]) | Newsweek ([link removed])
Advocates rally as Trump pushes public lands sales
High Country News ([link removed])
Interior outlines sweeping plan to drill, divest public lands
Bloomberg Law ([link removed])
Report: Almost half of Americans breathe unhealthy air
New York Times ([link removed])
L.A. wildlife struggle to adapt to increasing wildfires
Washington Post ([link removed])
Colorado's bears are awake and they're hungry
Sky Hi News ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Given the Administration’s ongoing illegal funding freezes, assault on the federal workforce, haphazard cancellation of building leases, and other efforts to throw agencies into total chaos and paralyze the federal government, we cannot take any such reorganization as a serious attempt to improve efficiency.”
—Sen. Jeff Merkley, ranking member of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, and Rep. Chellie Pingree, ranking member of the House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, E&E News ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, Agua Fria National Monument offers a stunning blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty. This diverse landscape is home to an array of wildlife, including coyotes, bobcats, antelope, mule deer, javelina, and countless songbirds. Visitors can explore ancient cultural sites, hike scenic trails, spot wildlife, hunt, enjoy off-highway adventures, and so much more.
In 2025, we're celebrating 25 years of protecting this incredible monument! Join us for a series of special anniversary events throughout the year. Follow along on BLM-Arizona social media for the latest updates!
Did you know ... Arizona's lands and programs directly and indirectly benefit the health, wealth, and well-being of local communities. In 2023, public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management contributed nearly $1 billion to Arizona’s economy.
📸Ralph Burrillo; Bureau of Land Management - Arizona
@arizonapubliclands ([link removed])
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