** November, in brief
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For all the wild beauty of @ChacoCultureNHP ([link removed]) 's high-desert landscape, its long winters and short growing seasons create an unlikely place for a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture to flourish. Yet this valley was the center of a thriving culture a thousand years ago. @Interior ([link removed])


** Key news from November:
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* The Interior Department released a long-awaited review of its oil and gas leasing system, recommending a suite of reforms ([link removed]) to ensure taxpayers get a fair return when companies lease and drill for oil on America's public lands and waters. The report ([link removed]) focuses on the fiscal impacts of oil and gas leasing, while acknowledging that the department is separately starting to account for “new stressors and new opportunities,” including “biodiversity loss, tackling climate change, and deploying new technology ranging from harnessing offshore wind in public waters, to sequestering carbon on public lands.” The biggest recommendation in the report ([link removed]) is to raise the royalty rate that companies pay when
extracting oil and gas, which has been set at 12.5% for more than a century. That rate is significantly lower than what companies pay for oil on state and private land. The report also argues for increasing the bonds that companies must post for future cleanup, and encourages the Bureau of Land Management to avoid offering leases on land with low potential for future oil development.
* President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland proposed a 20-year mineral withdrawal ([link removed]) around New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, including a 10-mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park ([link removed]) , removing the threat of oil and gas drilling in one of America’s most archaeologically-rich areas. The administration announced it would begin an extensive process of consulting ([link removed]) with Tribal nations in the Four Corners region to establish long-term certainty for energy production and conservation on public and Indigenous lands. President Biden made the announcement ([link removed]) at the opening of the White House Tribal Nations Summit as one of several steps
([link removed]) intended to strengthen the relationship between the federal government and American Indian tribes.
* The U.S. Senate confirmed Charles "Chuck" Sams to lead the National Park Service ([link removed]) , making him the first Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration, and the first Native American to lead the National Park Service. Sams most recently served on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. He is an enrolled member of the Cayuse and Walla Walla of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
* The U.S. Forest Service settled a long-running dispute by deciding to ban logging and the construction of roads across 9 million acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska ([link removed]) . Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proposed reinstating a Clinton administration-era rule to ban logging and road building in more than half of North America’s largest temperate rainforest. “Restoring the Tongass’ roadless protections supports the advancement of economic, ecologic and cultural sustainability in Southeast Alaska in a manner that is guided by local voices,” Secretary Vilsack said in a statement ([link removed]) , adding that the rule reflects the input of Alaska’s tribal and community leaders “and builds on the region’s economic drivers of tourism and fishing.”
* The Biden administration has kicked off a process ([link removed]) to reevaluate habitat protections for the greater sage-grouse in response to a steady, decades-long decline in the bird's population, which is commonly seen as an indicator of the sagebrush ecosystem's overall health. The action marks the beginning of a 75-day public comment period ([link removed]) for the evaluation, which could amend land management plans for 67 million acres across 10 Western states. The Bureau of Land Management announced its plan to reconsider protections for the bird earlier this fall ([link removed]) . Millions of sage grouse once lived
across the West, but the bird's numbers have dropped 65% since 1986 and 37% since 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey ([link removed]) . The Obama administration increased protections for sage grouse in 2015, but the Trump administration scaled them back, opening almost 10 million acres ([link removed]) of protected habitat to oil and gas drilling and cattle grazing. The bird is also threatened by climate change, persistent drought, wildfires, and the spread of invasive plant species.
* The Biden administration offered more than 80 million acres ([link removed]) for offshore drilling to oil companies in a widely criticized offshore oil and gas lease sale. ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and others purchased the rights to drill on some 1.7 million acres ([link removed]) —an area larger than the state of Delaware. Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Jesse-Prentice-Dunn said in response to the sale ([link removed]) , “After President Biden and Secretary Haaland traveled to Glasgow to assert America’s leadership on climate, they have now released a carbon bomb in the Gulf of Mexico. Right now, companies are still producing oil offshore on leases granted in the 1940’s. That means the impacts
of this lease sale will be measured not in years, but in generations."
* The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) is beginning a process ([link removed]) to designate a new marine sanctuary off California's Central Coast. The proposed Chumash National Heritage Marine Sanctuary would cover a 7,000-square-mile area ([link removed]) of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. The area is sacred to the Chumash tribes and is home to an abundance of marine life. The Chumash sanctuary would also connect two existing sanctuaries—the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Northern Chumash Tribal Council chairwoman Violet Sage Walker celebrated the news
([link removed]) , noting that it is a crucial first step toward President Biden’s goal to conserve at least 30 percent of the country's land and water by 2030. “Successfully designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will protect ocean life, sacred Chumash sites, strengthen Indigenous communities, and serve as a model of environmental justice,” she said.
* The Biden administration unveiled a sweeping set of policies to cut methane emissions from oil and gas operations ([link removed]) . The proposals represent one of President Biden's highest-impact efforts so far ([link removed]) to combat climate change, and marks the first time ([link removed]) that the federal government has attempted to comprehensively address methane leaks from oil and gas infrastructure all across the country. The Proposed rules ([link removed]) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would establish standards for old wells, increase leak monitoring, and require methane capture.


** What to watch for in December:
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* Lawmakers must act quickly ([link removed]) to avert another government shutdown by passing a stop-gap funding measure before Friday, December 3. Shortly after, they must address a looming debt ceiling negotiation by raising the cap on spending so the federal government can continue to pay its bills. In addition, negotiations continue to approve the Biden administration's proposed $2 trillion budget reconciliation package that narrowly passed the House ([link removed]) just before the Thanksgiving holiday and now faces a challenging path to approval in the U.S. Senate.
* The Senate will likely vote on a few key public lands nominees, including Laura Daniel-Davis, who President Biden nominated to be the assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals management, as well as Biden's pick to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Martha Williams.

Best Reads of the Month


** Colorado releases more endangered ferrets into prairie dog holes
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


**
Could "Smokey Beaver" help fight wildfires?
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OPB ([link removed])


**
Check out Climate Atlas, an interactive mapping tool for public lands
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E&E News ([link removed])


**
Animals need infrastructure, too—specifically wildlife crossings
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Vox ([link removed])


**
Girl reunited with beloved teddy bear lost on hiking trail in Glacier National Park
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Washington Post ([link removed])


**
Environmentally-friendly cattle? This Arizona rancher thinks it's possible.
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L ([link removed]) os Angeles Times ([link removed])


**
Report: Half the world's fossil fuel assets could become worthless by 2036
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The Guardian ([link removed])


**
Opinion by atmospheric scientist: The science everyone needs to know about climate change, in 6 charts
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The Conversation ([link removed])


From the Center for Western Priorities:


** Multimedia campaign: Stories from America's land and waters:
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Road to 30: Postcards ([link removed]) is a multimedia series telling the stories of everyday Americans and the places they want to conserve for future generations

The lands and waters of America shape and nurture us every day with the air, water, and inspiration they provide. But our wild places are threatened as never before. Every 30 seconds America loses a football field of nature, while the climate crisis continues unabated. Communities across the country are working to protect their iconic natural places, coming together with the Biden administration to support the bold goal of protecting 30% of America’s land and waters by 2030.

To reach the 30x30 goal, we must support the people and communities who are working tirelessly to protect places that matter. ([link removed])

That’s why the Center for Western Priorities launched Road to 30: Postcards ([link removed]) —a multimedia series telling the stories of everyday Americans and the places they want to conserve for future generations ([link removed]) . There are so many amazing places that reflect the beauty, history, and diverse cultural heritage of our nation that can be part of reaching the 30x30 goal.

We are proud to showcase short films, podcasts, and stories highlighting people working to protect the places they care about. Watch a trailer of the series here ([link removed]) , or view the postcards themselves, including:
* Bears Ears National Monument (Utah) ([link removed])
* Castner Range (Texas) ([link removed])
* Fetcher Ranch (Colorado) ([link removed])
* America’s National Trails System ([link removed])

Protecting landscapes across the country will not only maintain our beloved public lands and natural areas, it will also benefit public health, increase access to the outdoors, and boost local economies. So enjoy these stories of iconic places that deserve to be conserved, told in documentary style short films, podcast episodes, digital interactives, blogs, virtual panel discussions, and more. More postcards are on the way, so check back soon ([link removed]) !
Visit the website & browse the stories ([link removed])
Postcards from the Road to 30 ([link removed])

Lauren Bogard, CWP’s Director of Campaigns and Special Projects, joins Kate and Aaron to take us behind the scenes of our new Road to 30: Postcards multimedia series ([link removed]) . The first two video postcards are from Bears Ears ([link removed]) in Utah, and the Castner Range ([link removed]) in Texas. You can also explore an interactive map on America’s national trails system ([link removed]) .
Jay Fetcher on his family's ranching and conservation legacy ([link removed])

CWP’s Aaron Weiss and Lauren Bogard sat down with Colorado cattle rancher Jay Fetcher, a finalist for the 2021 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award ([link removed]) . Jay’s father and uncle founded Fetcher Ranch in 1949, and Jay was instrumental in the creation of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust ([link removed]) , which protects working agricultural land while conserving natural resources.

This episode is part of CWP’s Road to 30: Postcards ([link removed]) campaign, a multimedia series of stories on places that are in need of protection and can set America on track to protect 30 percent of its land and waters by 2030.
Quote of the month


** "For tribal nations, having a voice as the federal government manages public lands—places where tribes have deep roots—is a sign of respect that is long overdue. In many cases, these lands have significance not just to tribes and the United States, but to the world. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."
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** —Santa Fe New Mexican Editorial Board ([link removed])
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Picture this
@BLMNational ([link removed]) #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth ([link removed]) is not only a celebration of culture and tradition, it's also a vital part of our work to address climate change, manage public lands, support job creation, and serve communities that have been historically marginalized. More: [link removed] ([link removed]) .

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