Coal baron senator pulls the plug on climate legislation

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


** Manchin killed the climate deal. Will President Biden step up?
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Friday, July 15, 2022
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Third Way Think Tank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ([link removed])

To the dismay—though not perhaps surprise—of Democrats, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia told party leaders on Thursday ([link removed]) he would not support new legislation to address the climate crisis. Senate negotiators had already jettisoned other legislative priorities, including paid family leave and free preschool, in hopes that the senator would eventually support some sort of climate package. Manchin, who made millions from his family coal business and accepted more money from the oil and gas industry than any other senator ([link removed]) , strung party leadership along for months.

The White House has not yet commented on Manchin's announcement. But with legislation now off the table entirely, focus will quickly turn to the climate tools at President Biden's disposal—and he has many.

The most significant area where the Biden administration can quickly address climate change is the federal oil and gas leasing program. The program is governed by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, which gives broad discretion to the Interior secretary over how and when national public lands are to be leased, and under what terms. The administration conducted a review of the onshore leasing system that found significant deficiencies ([link removed]) , but any rulemaking to address the climate crisis will be a lengthy process. Similarly, the administration has started on a five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing ([link removed]) in the Gulf of Mexico but has not signaled whether the final plan will reflect the president's climate goals.

President Biden also has the authority to protect public land from development. By using the Antiquities Act to declare new national monuments, the president can take sensitive areas off the table for future drilling while ensuring public lands become part of the climate solution. For months, locally-led campaigns have been urging President Biden to protect Castner Range ([link removed]) in Texas and Avi Kwa Ame ([link removed]) in Nevada as national monuments. The Center for Western Priorities' 2022 Winning the West Poll ([link removed]) , released this week, found near-unanimous support for using the Antiquities Act to protect areas of Colorado that are included in the 400,000-acre CORE Act, a bill that has languished in Congress ([link removed]) despite its popularity at home.

Sen. Ron Wyden, a climate hawk, expressed his disappointment last night ([link removed]) , but also said that “If we can’t move forward as we had hoped, we need to salvage as much of this package as possible. The expression that failure is not an option is overused, but failure really is not an option here.”

It's clear this morning that the quickest way to salvage climate action sits squarely in the Oval Office.


** Podcast: What it will take to win the west in 2022
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The latest episode of our podcast, The Landscape, is a deep dive into our Winning the West Poll ([link removed]) . Pollster Lindsay Vermeyen and CWP Executive Director Jennifer Rokala break down the numbers and what it means for candidates and President Biden heading into the fall. Listen now ([link removed]) and subscribe on Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Quick hits


** U.S. renewable energy hit 28% in April
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USA Today ([link removed])


** BLM approves construction of Arizona-to-California power line to increase renewables
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E&E News ([link removed])


** When does the clean-energy infinity loop start?
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The Atlantic ([link removed])


** CWP poll: Nevada voters say conservation is important, want Biden to protect Avi Kwa Ame
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Nevada Independent ([link removed])


** Biden administration asks for help defining old growth forests
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Yosemite fire grows, pushes into Sierra national forest
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The Guardian ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed])


** Once nearly extinct, bison are now climate heroes
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Editorial: Colorado public lands need help. Gunnison County has a plan
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Denver Post ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” As concerned citizens participate in the planning process for Grand Staircase this summer, our job will be to suggest, urge and remind the BLM to think big. The vision behind the next management plan must acknowledge America’s dark legacy of stolen land and advance the role of Indigenous cultures and their ecological knowledge in protecting the landscape and its artifacts. It must focus as well on climate resilience, including water capture in the face of aridification, and it must prioritize the survival of critical species and habitats.”
—Stephen Trimble and Carolyn Z. Shelton,
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Picture this


** @mypubliclands ([link removed])
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Looking for a place to cool down this summer? 🥵🛶 We’ve got you covered! The United States offers over 13,000 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers! They’re the perfect place for a quiet float trip, a heart-pumping whitewater adventure or the chance to catch a big one. Here are some of the best river trips on America’s public waters to help you get started: [link removed]

📸 Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River; Courtesy of Roland Taylor

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