** Oil leasing resumes as climate crisis intensifies
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Tuesday, August 17th, 2021
The "bathtub ring" shows how far water levels in Lake Mead have dropped since Hoover Dam was built. Photo: climate.gov ([link removed])

Two near-simultaneous announcements on Tuesday underscored the immense challenge of addressing climate change in America. The Interior Department announced it will resume regular oil and gas lease sales ([link removed]) while it appeals a court ruling that blocked President Biden's pause on those sales. At the same time, the Interior Department formally declared a water shortage on the Colorado River ([link removed]) —a sign of the increasing effects of climate change caused by the unchecked burning of fossil fuels.

The water shortage declaration will primarily affect Arizona farmers ([link removed]) while also reducing allotments to Nevada and Mexico this year. But hydrologists warn that the shortage is likely to intensify, triggering more cuts by 2025 or sooner.

While announcing the resumption of oil and gas lease sales in response to the court order, the Interior Department suggested the sales may look different than in the past, saying that the agency ([link removed]) will use its “authority and discretion provided under the law to conduct leasing in a manner that takes into account the program’s many deficiencies.”

That approach was praised by Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala, who encouraged Interior Secretary Deb Haaland ([link removed]) to use “every inch” of that discretion “to ensure any future lease sales fully account for the costs of drilling to our communities and our climate.”

The Interior department also announced ([link removed]) a programmatic analysis to identify what changes will be necessary to meet President Biden's greenhouse gas targets for 2030 and 2050, and said it will launch a review of the federal coal leasing program later this week.


** New map reveals lands at risk from oil drilling
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To demonstrate the threat that unchecked oil and gas production poses to America’s public lands, the Center for Western Priorities released an interactive map ([link removed]) showing three places that were leased to oil and gas companies before the pause on new leasing and are at risk of being developed today. The map highlights drilling proposals under consideration by the Biden administration that threaten hunting and fishing access, sage-grouse habitat, and wilderness-quality lands in Montana, Nevada, and Utah.
Quick hits


** Indigenous people find legal, cultural barriers to protecting sacred spaces
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Arizona Republic ([link removed])


** Secretary Haaland on the significance of Native American representation
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PBS NewsHour ([link removed])


** Biden administration resumes oil leasing while appealing court order
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Associated Press ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed])


** First-ever water shortage declared on Colorado River
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | Arizona Republic ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed])


** Opinion: To address water shortages, it's time for farmers and cities to reduce demand
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The Conversation ([link removed])


** “Clean air” campaign was actually a gas industry PR operation
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed])


** Neguse bill would extend endangered fish programs
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Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed])


** These 12 places could be America's next national parks
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Sierra Magazine ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The cutbacks are happening. The water's not there. We’ll shrink as much as we can until we go away. That’s all the future basically is.”
—Third-generation farmer Will Thelander, Arizona Republic ([link removed])
Picture this


** @usfwsmtnprairie ([link removed])
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We dream of having lashes as perfect as this moose. Have you seen any moose lately? During the summer, moose blend in well with their habitats and can be difficult to see. If you do see one, be sure to keep your distance. Photo:
@USFWS ([link removed])

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