Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Where biodiversity is most at risk
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Friday, March 4, 2022
New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed](2).jpg)
A new mapping project provides the most detailed look yet at where biodiversity is threatened ([link removed]) in the United States.
Red areas reflect concentrations of imperiled biodiversity. Green areas reflect federal, state and local biodiversity protections. Source: The New York Times ([link removed]) .
The work is a critical step toward protecting 30 percent of America's land and water by 2030, known as "30x30." To create the new maps ([link removed]) , scientists at the nonprofit NatureServe partnered with The Nature Conservancy and the mapping platform Esri.
By highlighting which areas are most threatened with biodiversity loss, and which areas are currently protected from development, policymakers and scientists can make data-driven decisions ([link removed]) about which areas need protection.
The map shows extreme risk in Southern California and the Gulf Coast, but also in unprotected biodiversity hotspots in the Rocky Mountains and Southwestern borderlands from Arizona through Texas.
In New Mexico, the map reveals a threat to seven species in the Lincoln National Forest, where a rabbit, bee, and several imperiled plants are at risk from logging, mining, and grazing.
The Interior Department is still accepting public comments about how to track biodiversity and conservation efforts in the upcoming Conservation and Stewardship Atlas. The comment period closes on Monday ([link removed]) .
Quick hits
** After bankruptcies and mergers, oil companies prioritize profits over lower gas prices during Ukraine crisis
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Colorado Newsline ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed])
** Global coal prices 'off the charts' as West shuns Russia
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E&E News ([link removed])
** Podesta: Biodiversity is the canary in the mine
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SDG Action ([link removed])
** Sen. Ben Ray Luján back and voting after recovering from stroke
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Source NM ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Politico ([link removed])
** 'They're finally listening': Indigenous peoples play major role in new climate report
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Arizona Republic ([link removed])
** Climate experts warn of 'tough times ahead' for Central and Southern Oregon
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OPB News ([link removed])
** Colorado board seeks ideas for renaming offensively named geographic features
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Daily Sentinel ([link removed])
** Grand Teton National Park gets larger thanks to LWCF
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Jackson Hole Radio ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” In its 2022 financial guidance this week, PDC projected that its oil production in Colorado would dip by 7% in the first quarter and grow at an overall rate of zero to 5% for the next two years. PDC assured investors, however, that ‘under the company’s enhanced return of capital framework … cumulative shareholder returns in 2022 and 2023 are expected to exceed $1.7 billion.’”
—Chase Woodruff, Colorado Newsline ([link removed]\)
Picture this
** @usfws ([link removed])
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This World Wildlife Day, let’s celebrate wild wonders that are vital to healthy ecosystems and a flourishing planet.
Designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of conserving wildlife and plants, this day resonates with who we are and what we do – does it do the same for you?
#WorldWildlifeDay ([link removed])
Photo: Young black bear by Adam Jewell.
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