** August, in brief
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Another perfect summer day @GlacierNPS ([link removed]) | @Interior ([link removed])
** Key news from August:
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* The Interior Department announced new rules ([link removed]) that weaken enforcement of the Endangered Species Act—one of our nation's bedrock conservation laws that brought back numerous species from the brink of extinction. The changes would now report the economic impacts of listing a species as endangered and make it harder to consider the impacts of climate change on species populations.
* A longtime proponent of selling off all of America's public lands, William Perry Pendley, was named ([link removed]) to lead the Bureau of Land Management. After more than two years, President Trump has yet to nominate a BLM director for Senate confirmation.
* The U.S. Forest Service will remove protections ([link removed]) from more than 1 million acres of key sage-grouse habitat across five Western states. The plans follow the Bureau of Land Management removal of protections from more than 9 million acres ([link removed]) of sage-grouse habitat to promote more oil and gas drilling.
* The Interior Department released ([link removed]) its proposed management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, raising concerns over the prioritization of mining, grazing, and energy development over conservation.
* In a Secretarial Order, Interior Secretary David Bernhart directed ([link removed]) the agency's ethics program to consolidate and to be overseen by the Interior Solicitor—a position currently held in an acting capacity by a political appointee, Daniel Jorjani.
* In energy news, a federal judge barred the Trump administration ([link removed]) from taking recommendations from former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's Royalty Policy Committee, saying it violated federal transparency laws.
* Senator Ron Wyden, a key member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced he will try to block ([link removed]) the nomination of Daniel Jorjani, a former Koch advisor, to become the Interior Department's top lawyer.
** What to watch for in September:
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* The House Natural Resources Committee plans to hold hearings to consider a legislative fix to increase royalty rates for onshore oil and gas production and address the Bureau of Land Management relocation plans.
* The Center for Western Priorities' "Go West, Young Podcast" will be in Missoula for a live podcast recording ([link removed]) on Thursday, September 26th with a panel of guests to talk about the importance of public lands in Montana.
* National Public Lands Day ([link removed]) is Saturday, September 28th! National Parks will be free.
Best Reads of the Month
** White House official's comments confirm Bureau of Land Management relocation meant to cut staff
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Associated Press ([link removed])
** Story map: Extreme climate change has arrived in America
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Washington Post ([link removed])
** The leaks that threaten the clean image of natural gas
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Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
** Public lands ride sidecar with climate change in 2020 race
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Morning Consult ([link removed])
** Opinion: The great Western public lands robbery
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New York Times ([link removed])
** Editorial: William Perry Pendley did not have Senate approval. Congress should not stand for it.
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Washington Post ([link removed])
** Editorial: Bernhardt lacks credibility for changes to Endangered Species Act
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Seattle Times ([link removed])
From the Center for Western Priorities:
** Westwise Blog:
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** Trump administration to gut methane pollution safeguards ([link removed])
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** EPA proposal would challenge Clean Air Act, give oil and gas operations free pass to pollute
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** Trump administration pours “salt in the open wounds” at Bears Ears ([link removed])
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** New management plan passes up protecting monument’s remnants
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** What is going on in Nevada? ([link removed])
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** Oil and gas industry, BLM are eyeing tens of millions of acres for drilling in a state where there’s virtually none
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** Trump administration’s extinction agenda ([link removed])
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** The Endangered Species Act has many success stories, but the Interior's new rules could change that
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** Go West, Young Podcast:
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Representative Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland ([link removed])
Representative Deb Haaland ([link removed]) and Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan ([link removed]) join us in this episode of CWP’s Go West, Young Podcast ([link removed]) , recorded at the Wildlife Corridors Summit ([link removed]) in Taos, New Mexico.
Cutting the Public out of Public Lands ([link removed])
In this episode of CWP’s ([link removed]) Go West, Young Podcast ([link removed]) , we uncover a trend flying below the radar across the Bureau of Land Management: the Trump administration is writing long-term management plans that leave out almost all conservation measures and ignore years of local input from community members and elected officials.
Quote of the month
** But you have to go pretty deep into the ranks of the Worst People to find someone equal to the man Donald Trump has now put in charge of your public lands — William Perry Pendley. This is another Onion headline that writes itself: Trump’s pick for public lands doesn’t believe in public lands.”
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** —Timothy Egan, New York Times ([link removed])
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**
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Picture this
Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has offered ([link removed]) more than 1.8 million acres of oil and gas leases in Nevada at auction — third-most of any state, behind Alaska and Wyoming. However, only 162,723 acres actually sold at auction, and of those, 85 percent went for the paltry minimum bid of $2 per acre. | Westwise ([link removed])
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