Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** California protected over 1 million acres of land and water in past year
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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Soap Plant flowers and Chamise at Lake Berryessa; BLM California/Flickr ([link removed])
Despite the federal government’s rollback of America the Beautiful, the nationwide 30x30 goal, California is making progress toward its goal of conserving 30 percent of its lands and coastal waters by 2030.
The state's 2025 30×30 Progress Report ([link removed]) , released yesterday, shows the state has protected over one million acres of land and coastal waters in the last year, including 853,000 acres of land and 191,000 acres of coastal waters. As of June 2025, 26.1 percent of California’s lands and 21.9 percent of its coastal waters are under long-term conservation and care, according to the report, which was celebrated by Governor Gavin Newsom's office ([link removed]) .
Since 2022, California has designated over 2.5 million acres ([link removed]) of "30x30 Conservation Areas"—including over 2,240,000 acres of land and nearly 19,000 acres of coastal waters—and has allocated over $1.3 billion in state funding to support its 30x30 goal.
Trump moves to reopen Powder River Basin to coal leasing
The Bureau of Land Management will file a notice ([link removed]) this week to amend the Powder River Basin's resource management plans in order to restart federal coal leasing—undoing a Biden-era ban on coal leasing ([link removed]) in the region. The public will have 30 days to review and comment on the proposed action, setting a deadline of August 7. The move is a response to executive orders ([link removed]) issued earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
** Quick hits
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California moves closer to '30x30' conservation goals as threats to public lands loom
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Trump administration fast-tracks oil transport expansion in eastern Utah
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Opinion: Pinedale’s grassroots grow along with opposition to selling public lands
WyoFile ([link removed])
How this group got Trump to sign a pro-environment executive order
Washington Post ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed])
Trump moves to open Powder River Basin to coal leasing
WyoFile ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
Opinion: Auctioning off public lands won’t fix the mountain town housing crisis
Outside ([link removed])
How Trump's national park fee hike for foreign visitors could impact California
Desert Sun ([link removed])
What's next for public lands after land sale efforts were removed from GOP tax bill?
KNPR ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” President Trump and radical Republicans may not see the value of protecting our lands and waters but California does. We’ve conserved millions of acres of lands and coastal waters—adding an area equivalent to Glacier National Park in just the last year—and bolstered our partnerships with tribal nations and local communities. We’re proving that conservation isn’t just good for nature. It’s critical for people, too.”
—California Governor Gavin Newsom ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@GrandCanyonNPS ([link removed])
Grand Canyon varies in width from less than a mile to over 18 miles (1.5 to 29 km) but averages 10 miles (16 km) wide. No roads cross the canyon between Navajo Bridge (Lees Ferry) and Hoover Dam - for 340 miles (547 km).
More Grand Canyon statistics: [link removed] ([link removed]) (1877) #TuesdayTrivia ([link removed]) #GrandCanyon ([link removed]) #Arizona ([link removed]) Photo/S. Bridgehouse
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