Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Yellowstone flooding foreshadows frightening climate reality for parks
------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, June 16, 2022
High water levels in the Gardner River alongside the North Entrance Road of Yellowstone National Park. Source: Yellowstone National Park Flickr ([link removed])

Record rainfall in Yellowstone National Park over the weekend led to heavy flooding that destroyed homes, roads, and bridges, and caused the evacuation of 10,000 visitors and the closure of all park entrances ([link removed]) .

The storm that caused the flooding and mudslides began with 2-3 inches of rain over the weekend that combined with warm temperatures that melted more than 5 inches of late spring snow, creating a major flooding event. Park superintendent Cam Sholly described the situation ([link removed]) as a “thousand-year event, whatever that means these days. They seem to be happening more and more frequently.”

Marshall Shepherd, director of the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia and former president of the American Meteorological Society explained that climate change is causing the water cycle to accelerate, fueled by earlier snowmelt combined with increasingly intense rainfall. “We can no longer talk about this as a future tense, that this is what's going to happen and this is what climate change is going to do for flooding in Montana. It’s here,” said Shepherd, voicing a fear expressed by others that this might be a taste of what climate change has in store for Yellowstone and other national parks going forward ([link removed]) .

The entire park will remain closed for at least a week while officials assess the damage. Some portions of the park are likely to remain closed into the fall "We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we're able to assess the damage throughout the park," Sholly said in a statement ([link removed]) .

The closure of the park is dealing a major economic blow to adjacent gateway communities ([link removed]) counting on a rebound in summer tourism for the park's 150th anniversary following two years of COVID-19 restrictions. Bill Berg, a commissioner in nearby Park County, Montana described the impact to Gardiner, Montana ([link removed]) , an area that had just started to recover from the past two years, saying, “It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism, and this is going to be a pretty big hit. They’re looking to try to figure out how to hold things together.”
Quick hits


** Environmental groups sue BLM for failing to consider leasing impacts to endangered species
------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** A timber sale in Oregon tests Biden's pledge to protect old trees
------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Post ([link removed])


** Large land acquisition bucks Wyoming's resistance to federal management
------------------------------------------------------------

WyoFile ([link removed])


** Developer looks to move water from Utah to Colorado's front range
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Biden's been in office more than 500 days and still hasn't nominated a coal mine reclamation official
------------------------------------------------------------

Inside Climate News ([link removed]) | Wyoming Public Radio ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Yellowstone flooding foreshadows frightening climate reality for parks
------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times ([link removed]) | High Country News ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Burning toilet paper likely cause of Arizona's Pipeline Fire near Flagstaff
------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Republic ([link removed])


** The 20 most influential people in the outdoor industry
------------------------------------------------------------

Outside ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” You don't need to pass legislation in order to reform the federal fossil fuel program. Secretary Haaland and President Biden have the authority they need under existing law to bring that program into alignment with their own climate pledges and global climate goals.”
—Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation for lands, wildlife and oceans at Earthjustice, Washington Post ([link removed])
Picture this


** @USFWS ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Have you seen any fawns lately? Fawns are usually born in May or June and typically lose their spots after the summer. If you find a fawn remember to leave it be and give it plenty of space. Mom will return. Photo courtesy of Dennis Church/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 [link removed] ([link removed])

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2022 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])