Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** The government hasn't shut down for fossil fuels
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, October 20, 2025
Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

As the government shutdown enters its third week, federal employees who work on fossil fuel and mining permits are still on the job ([link removed]) .

The New York Times reports ([link removed]) that the Bureau of Land Management approved the expansion of a Utah copper mine last week and prepared to open more than 250,000 acres of land in Wyoming and Nebraska to oil and gas drilling. Environmental Protection Agency employees are reportedly working on a plan to allow coal plants to emit more toxic mercury. But the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has stopped "all renewable energy activities" during the shutdown.

The Center for Western Priorities is monitoring oil and gas drilling permits issued during the shutdown. As of Monday morning, BLM employees had issued more than 300 new oil and gas drilling permits ([link removed]) during the government shutdown. Most of the permits are being issued in Wyoming and New Mexico.

Interior confirms "imminent" layoff plans

In a late Friday court filing, the Interior department revealed it planned to "imminently" fire more than 1,500 employees ([link removed]) across 68 areas of the agency. Interior's Chief Human Capital Officer, Rachel Borra, declared that the agency has stopped work ([link removed]) on firing union employees covered by a temporary restraining order. A judge on Friday expanded the number of employees ([link removed]) covered by that restraining order. However, Borra did not reveal how many of the 1,539 employees targeted for elimination are not represented by one of the unions challenging the layoff plans. Borra is new to the top HR job at Interior, having just been appointed on September 29th, two days before the government shutdown began.


** Quick hits
------------------------------------------------------------

Trump admin allows hunting in wildlife refuges despite shutdown

Washington Post ([link removed])

National Park Service is losing an eye-opening sum during the shutdown

SFGate ([link removed])

Shutdown leaves collaborative projects in the lurch

Mountain Journal ([link removed])

Controversial bill to allow large NEPA exclusions in firesheds heads to committee vote

E&E News ([link removed])

Sen. Mike Lee moves to bulldoze, surveil wilderness amid border crackdown, move Forest Service to Interior

Public Domain ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | SFGate ([link removed])

Use of Congressional Review Act on BLM plans could hamstring state planning at other agencies

Inside Climate News ([link removed])

The kids who sued Trump over climate change lost in court—or did they?

New York Times ([link removed])

How a couple of naturalists cracked the code of animal language in Yellowstone

Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
------------------------------------------------------------

” If this is truly about keeping the lights on, then why suppress the cleanest and cheapest energy that’s coming online?”

—Alexandra Adams, Natural Resources Defense Council, The New York Times ([link removed])


** Picture This
------------------------------------------------------------

@castateparks ([link removed])
A stunning view of the Crags at Castle Crags State Park. #SnapshotSunday
Have you been on a recent hike to a state park and captured beautiful views? Make sure to submit them for the #CA175 Photo Contest for a chance to win awesome prizes! Info: photocontest.parks.ca.gov/ ([link removed])

============================================================
** Website ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** TikTok ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
Copyright © 2025 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])