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Key news from August:
- The Interior Department announced new rules 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 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 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 of sage-grouse habitat to promote more oil and gas drilling.
- The Interior Department released 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 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 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 the nomination of Daniel Jorjani, a former Koch advisor, to become the Interior Department's top lawyer.
What to watch for in September:
- 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 on Thursday, September 26th with a panel of guests to talk about the importance of public lands in Montana.
- National Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 28th! National Parks will be free.
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White House official's comments confirm Bureau of Land Management relocation meant to cut staff
Associated Press
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Story map: Extreme climate change has arrived in America
Washington Post
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The leaks that threaten the clean image of natural gas
Wall Street Journal
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Public lands ride sidecar with climate change in 2020 race
Morning Consult
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Opinion: The great Western public lands robbery
New York Times
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Editorial: William Perry Pendley did not have Senate approval. Congress should not stand for it.
Washington Post
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Editorial: Bernhardt lacks credibility for changes to Endangered Species Act
Seattle Times
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From the Center for Western Priorities:
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EPA proposal would challenge Clean Air Act, give oil and gas operations free pass to pollute
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New management plan passes up protecting monument’s remnants
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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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The Endangered Species Act has many success stories, but the Interior's new rules could change that
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In this episode of CWP’s Go West, Young Podcast, 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.
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 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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Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has offered 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
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