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


** 'Energy dominance' tests Wyoming's wildlife migration corridor policy
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, October 27, 2025
Pronghorn in Wyoming, BLM Wyoming via Flickr ([link removed])

An oil and gas lease sale proposed by the Bureau of Land Management for next June would overlap with Wyoming's three officially-designated wildlife migration corridors and a fourth known but currently undesignated corridor, according to reporting by WyoFile ([link removed]) . The proposed lease sale would offer more than 250,000 acres in Wyoming, including 88,000 acres that overlap with wildlife migration corridors designated under the state's migration policy established in 2020 ([link removed]) by Governor Mark Gordon.

According to ([link removed]) an analysis by the Wyoming Outdoor Council, nearly 39,000 acres proposed for lease in the upcoming sale would overlap with migration corridors that in theory are protected by Wyoming's migration policy. An additional 49,000 acres are proposed for lease within a corridor that was "identified" but ultimately not designated under Wyoming's process.

"While there are places that are appropriate for oil and gas development, potentially fracturing our iconic big game migration corridors is an affront to all those who value Wyoming’s wildlife," said Alec Underwood ([link removed]) , conservation director at the Wyoming Outdoor Council. Julia Stuble, Wyoming state director at The Wilderness Society, agreed ([link removed]) : "We simply can’t lease and allow development in our big game migration corridors if we want our kids and grandkids to have the same hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities that we’ve enjoyed."


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

Trump targets federal employees working on conservation and environmental protection

Grist ([link removed])

Amid federal shutdown, BASE jumpers converge on Yosemite’s El Capitan

Washington Post ([link removed])

Trump, lawmakers join Big Oil’s all-out push to shut down climate liability efforts

Inside Climate News ([link removed])

At Idaho's Stibnite gold mine, crews begin construction amid legal challenges

Idaho Capital Sun ([link removed])

How the Trump administration is reshaping public lands in Oregon

Salem Statesman Journal ([link removed])

ExxonMobil sues California over climate disclosure laws

Associated Press ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed])

Opinion: Despite new law, Colorado oil and gas companies still get away with secrecy

Colorado Newsline ([link removed])

That time Idaho parachuted 76 beavers into remote wilderness

Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])


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

” We all love our parks and want to see them, you know, stay open and not get sold or leased out to oil and gas.”

—Charles Winstead, rock climber, Washington Post ([link removed])


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

@coparkswildlife ([link removed])
Step aside, aspens. There’s another seasonal transformation to behold in Colorado.

Out on the Eastern Plains, a different kind of change is happening. Native, tall grass species are in their full glory. Deep golden hues roll across the horizon. Wildflowers and grasses are setting seeds for next spring. Birds, deer, rabbits and more are finding new places to call home for the season.

As fall settles in, Corners for Conservation properties go through a radical change from their summer selves. They bid farewell to pollinators and songbirds that swarmed them from May through September. Now these pieces of native grassland habitat prepare for the next phase of life – the colder months. Corners will become a magnet for species like pheasants, rabbits and deer.

Although it’s a change in the season, these properties will continue to do what they have always done – provide excellent food, shelter and space for all kinds of wildlife.

Click the link in our bio to see a different kind of fall superstar, Corners for Conservation style.

============================================================
** 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])