** Pressure mounts for Biden to act on monuments
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Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM ([link removed])

The editorial boards of the Denver Post ([link removed]) and the Chicago Sun Times ([link removed]) are calling on President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to be more aggressive than their predecessors when it comes to conservation.

Following Haaland's visit to Colorado last week, the Denver Post editorial board ([link removed]) explicitly calls on President Biden to consider using the Antiquities Act as a means to set aside "vast tracts of land as wilderness." As evidence of the need to act boldly early in this administration, the editorial board cites the massive crowds that already flock to Colorado's parks and public lands, "loving them to death." The board suggests President Biden and Secretary Haaland act to increase recreational access, saying ([link removed]) , "Opening up more land for recreation is the only way to alleviate the pressure on existing resources like Rocky Mountain National Park, Maroon Bells, and Hanging Lake."

Similarly, the Chicago Sun Times editorial states ([link removed]) , "Now would be a good time, at the height of the summer vacation season, for the Biden administration to restore the alarmingly shrunken borders of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah," both of which were drastically diminished from their original size during the Trump administration.

The Denver Post's editorial acknowledges ([link removed]) that the Biden administration has already set an ambitious national goal of conserving 30% of America's land and water by 2030 (the "30x30" goal), and hints ([link removed]) there may be "low hanging fruit in Colorado." Specifically, the board suggests that President Biden consider using the Antiquities Act to protect the areas contained within the CORE Act ([link removed]) and the Colorado Wilderness Act ([link removed]) if proposed legislation for either is not enacted.

The Denver Post and Sun Times editorials are part of a trend calling on President Biden to designate new lands for conservation using the Antiquities Act. The New York Times editorial board ([link removed]) last week urged President Biden to make a significant down payment on the 30x30 goal by restoring protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. The Times' editorial describes the opportunity presented to President Biden through the Antiquities Act as a teaching moment, saying ([link removed]) , "The act has critics in Congress who believe that protecting public lands is exclusively their responsibility. Mr. Biden should use the occasion to educate the public about its importance and legitimacy."
Quick hits


** Lake Powell drops to lowest level on record amid climate-fueled drought crisis
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CNN ([link removed])


** Biden administration to set stricter limits for wastewater pollution from coal-fired power plants
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Pressure mounts for Biden to act on monuments
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Denver Post [PDF] ([link removed]) | Chicago Sun Times ([link removed])


** Development in Montana boom town is fouling world class trout river
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Huffington Post ([link removed])


** Warming Western rivers are killing fish, threatening survival of fishing industry
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Yes, hiking trails are more crowded than ever
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Outside ([link removed])


** Climate change is already impacting families of color in New Mexico
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New Mexico Political Report ([link removed])


** Opinion: Epic drought highlights need to end new leasing, transition from fossil fuels
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The Hill ([link removed])
Quote of the day
We live in a desert, and we need to start acting like it."
—Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board ([link removed])
Picture this


** @Interior ([link removed])
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Bay bay. Smol one. Tiny boi. Lil boop. Beebee. Gary. Whatever you choose to call this pronghorn fawn, just know that the short grasses and sagebrush at Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming make for a great spot to rest adorably.

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