** Biden launches new review of Arctic refuge oil leases
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Wednesday, August 4, 2021
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It's subsurface minerals are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ([link removed])

The Biden administration just announced it will launch a new review of oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ([link removed]) , after suspending the leases earlier this year. The leases were issued under former president Donald Trump, and were the first ever to be offered in the Arctic refuge. The area is home to endangered polar bears, as well as the Porcupine caribou herd, whose calving grounds were included in the sale. Alaska’s Gwichʼin people, who depend on the caribou for subsistence, decried the move.

The Trump administration pushed the lease sale through anyway, completing a rushed environmental analysis on the 1.1 million acre area and holding the lease sale just two weeks before he left office. The Biden administration has previously raised concerns about the legality of the sale, and, in a notice published yesterday, the Interior Department said it will carry out a comprehensive review of the sale’s environmental impacts. The analysis could result in additional restrictions on drilling in the refuge or nullify the leases altogether ([link removed]) , Politico reported.

That’s good news, given that drilling in the Arctic refuge is both destructive and unlikely to be successful. An oil project started under Trump in the nearby National Petroleum Reserve is facing issues due to warming permafrost ([link removed]) , and thawing permafrost is also threatening Alaska’s largest oil pipeline ([link removed]) .

Clearly, drilling in the Arctic refuge is not worth the costs.



** Podcast: Legendary public lands photographer Bob Wick, Pt. II
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Bureau of Land Management wilderness specialist Bob Wick has taken some of the most iconic outdoor photos of the last 30 years. In the second part of his "exit interview" with CWP's podcast, The Landscape, Bob shares the secrets behind his incredible p ([link removed]) hotography ([link removed]) . ([link removed]) You can also watch this episode, complete with photos, on YouTube ([link removed]) or Facebook ([link removed]) .
Quick hits


** The Forest Service is focusing on fire suppression amid historic summer of wildfires
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Wildfire Today ([link removed])


** Biden administration will fully review Arctic refuge drilling leases
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The Hill ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed])


** Court case would change mining laws for the better
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Mother Jones ([link removed])


** Oil and gas development soars in Utah despite industry claims about leasing pause
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Oregon adopts rules to protect workers from wildfire smoke
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Opinion: Local resolution opposing Tracy Stone-Manning is political theater
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Cache Valley Daily ([link removed])


** Biden won't explain why he cut royalty rates for coal
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Huffington Post ([link removed])
Quote of the day
They are drilling like crazy in the basin where the governor’s office has been claiming things would be at a standstill.”
—Landon Newell, Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Picture this


** @F ([link removed]) orestService ([link removed])
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Welcome back to animal #Olympics ([link removed]) . In the climbing category we have the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Its specialized hooves & rough soles provide a natural grip, allowing it to make precarious jumps & breathtaking climbs along sharp cliff faces at a rate of 15 mph.🏅

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