** Tribes ask to be included in river policy, seek access to clean water
------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
The Colorado River, U ([link removed]) tah Department of Natural Resources ([link removed])
In 1922, seven states signed the Colorado River Compact, an agreement on how to divide water resources from the Colorado River to increase Western development. However, at that time Native Americans weren't considered U.S. citizens, and tribes were excluded from the agreement. Even when states were forced to negotiate a new set of rules in 2007 due to drought conditions, tribes were again excluded from the process. Although state water managers and the federal government has said that they will include tribes in upcoming policy negotiations, tribes are asking Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for legal changes to ensure that they have a seat at the table. ([link removed])

Tribes have a right to be concerned: to this day, tribal members still often lack access to clean running water, an issue exacerbated by being left out of the original Colorado River Compact ([link removed]) . One report found that Native American households are 19 times ([link removed]) more likely to lack piped water services than white households. An exceptionally high percentage of tribes that rely on the Colorado River lack running water in their homes, such as 40% of the Navajo Nation
([link removed]) . The importance of running water has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with studies showing ([link removed]) a higher infection rate in communities with limited access to running water.

Collectively, tribes do own the rights to much of the water that flows through the Colorado River—about a quarter ([link removed]) of it. But the situation has blocked tribes from accessing federal funding for ([link removed]) infrastructure, making tribes unable to tap the resource ([link removed]) . If tribes were to finally have access to more of their water rights, it would reduce the amount of water available to other states and users. That concern over the valuable commodity is one reason some
states are hesitant ([link removed]) to include tribes in negotiations. But equitably distributing water is the entire point of the compact.

Now, there is an opportunity to re-write the story of the Colorado River and ensure that its traditional stewards have a seat at the table when discussing its future. It's time for water equity in the West to open a new chapter.
Quick hits


** Where’s the snow? Rockies winter starts with a whimper, bad news amid widespread drought—but snow could be coming
------------------------------------------------------------

Associated Press ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | Denver Channel ([link removed]) [Snow coming]


** Public land conservation bills left out of National Defense Authorization Act
------------------------------------------------------------

E&E News ([link removed])


** Prairies on fire in Montana amid a record December heat wave
------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times ([link removed])


** Why Biden is approving public lands oil drilling permits faster than Trump did, rubber-stamping emissions and evironmental impacts
------------------------------------------------------------

Yahoo News ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed])


** How Montana firefighters saved a town from a catastrophic blaze
------------------------------------------------------------

Great Falls Tribune ([link removed])


** Historically excluded from Colorado River policy, tribes want a say in how the dwindling resource is used. Access to clean water is a start.
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])


** New study outlines high costs of extreme heat in Phoenix
------------------------------------------------------------

Associated Press ([link removed])


** It's time for states to diversify their economies, decouple state budgets from fossil fuels
------------------------------------------------------------

Center for American Progress ([link removed]) | Opinion: KRWG Public Media ([link removed])
Quote of the day
“Through the end of September, [the Biden administration] had approved 98 percent of the [drilling] permit applications they had processed — 98 percent! During fiscal year 2020, towards the end of the Trump administration, they were approving permits at a clip of 94 percent. If 98 percent approval isn’t a rubber stamp, I don’t know what is.”

—Jesse Prentice-Dunn, Policy Director at the Center for Western Priorities, Yahoo News ([link removed])
Picture this


** @m ([link removed]) ypubliclands ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The Arizona National Scenic Trail stretches just over 800 miles across the entire length of the state to connect deserts, mountains, forests, canyons, wilderness, history, communities and people.
📸 Sunset in the Superstition Wilderness, Arizona; @campcoolout_ ([link removed]) .

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2021 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])