** Trump lands agenda threatened by Pendley ruling
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Thursday, October 1, 2020
Public lands near Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Powder River | Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

Last week, a federal judge in Montana ousted William Perry Pendley from his position of acting Bureau of Land Management director, ruling he had served illegally for more than a year. While the implications of the sweeping ruling are still being understood, the case could undermine a vast range of recently-enacted policies ([link removed]) designed to expand drilling and mining on public lands.

The Montana ruling specifically identifies two controversial land use plans ([link removed]) for nullification—plans Pendley helped craft that decrease conservation protections and open vast areas in the state to drilling. There are at least 6 other land use plans around the West that meet the same criteria and could be overturned, including plans to expand mining access ([link removed]) in lands cut from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and expand drilling ([link removed]) in scenic southwestern Colorado.

A broader interpretation of the ruling could threaten major priorities in the Trump administration's drill everywhere agenda, from drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to rolling back sage-grouse protections. Nada Culver, an attorney at the National Audubon Society, called the ruling ([link removed]) a "tsunami," saying, "The court’s reasoning makes it pretty clear that a lot of the activities that Mr. Pendley has been involved in have now been invalidated."

Instead of appointing a legitimate acting director, Interior Secretary Bernhardt will personally lead the BLM ([link removed]) , according to an email obtained by The Hill. Such a move will likely accelerate the Trump administration's efforts to bypass career BLM officials and centralize decisions on public land management in a small group of political officials in Washington.
Quick hits


** Trump official blocks release of polar bear study that could impact drilling in Alaskan Arctic
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Speculative oil and gas leasing still rampant in Nevada, despite years of little drilling
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Bloomberg Law ([link removed])


** Interior Secretary Bernhardt will personally lead Bureau of Land Management after judge ousts Pendley
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Pendley ruling could nix two controversial Montana land use plans
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Missoula Current ([link removed])


** Fracking's fall in New Mexico's San Juan Basin
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Santa Fe Reporter ([link removed])


** Record-setting Joshua Tree discovered in proposed national monument in Nevada
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KTNV ([link removed])


** Highly anticipated mountain bike trail opens in Colorado's Grand Valley
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Opinion: Selling off public lands sells out past and future Nevadans
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Las Vegas Sun ([link removed])
Quote of the day
This Palisade Plunge is not just a trail. It’s a good representation of how federal agencies, local municipalities, nonprofits and state agencies like CPW can come together to provide outdoor recreation to an entire community.”
—Bob Morris, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Picture this

Meeteetse Spires Area of Critical Environmental Concern in Montana
Bob Wick | Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

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