Abuse of the critical minerals list is a problem for public lands

The Trump administration recently updated the U.S. Geological Survey's critical minerals list. In a new Westwise blog post, Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Rachael Hamby unpacks the critical minerals list, why it matters, and what the most recent additions to the list mean for public lands in the West.

The recent update to the critical minerals list added ten new minerals including copper, uranium, silver, and metallurgical coal. The inclusion of these minerals on the list for the first time makes it clear that the Trump administration is using the list to advance its agenda of prioritizing resource extraction over all other uses of our national public lands.

Designating these minerals as ‘critical’ paves the way for land use and permitting decisions that will negatively impact Western public lands and wildlife habitats for decades to come. Learn more at Westwise's new home on Substack. 

Quick hits

Fast-tracked mining exploration project near Bitterroot River headwaters draws opposition

Daily Montanan

Utility asks New Mexico for ‘zero emission’ status for gas-fired power plant

Capital & Main

The U.S. Forest Service is falling further behind on wildfire prevention

NOTUS

Why is an economic powerhouse treated like an afterthought on national public lands?

More Than Just Parks

What the Rio Grande’s dry-outs mean for the region’s animals and ecosystems

Inside Climate News

Trump admin aims to rescind regulations governing ATV access in national forests

E&E News

Opinion: Idaho deserves a BLM director who won't sell our public lands

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Opinion: Senators must prove they're friends of public lands

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Quote of the day

Our BLM lands are already in enough trouble—understaffed, underfunded, and under increased pressure from invasive species, wildfires, and development and other risks. We do not need an auctioneer to hold a fire-sale of our public lands to the highest bidder or transfer them to the states, where they would inevitably be sold off.”

—John Robison, Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Capital Sun

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