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


** Biden to sign sweeping climate legislation into law
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Tuesday, August 16, 2022
President Biden signs legislation in the Oval Office of the White House. Source: White House Flickr ([link removed])

President Biden is expected to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law ([link removed]) today in a ceremony at the White House, locking in $369 billion in climate-related spending ([link removed]) . According to a statement from the White House ([link removed]) , the historic legislation will "combat the climate crisis, reduce the deficit, and finally ask the largest corporations to pay their fair share."

The House voted on the final text of the bill last Friday before embarking on their August congressional recess. The president intends to host a larger event to celebrate the enactment of the bill at the White House on September 6th ([link removed]) when lawmakers are back in town.

Members of the president's cabinet will travel to 23 states ([link removed]) over the coming weeks to tout the landmark bill's content, starting with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's visit to central California this Wednesday to highlight the drought resilience and the climate provisions of the bill, while Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Colorado for a discussion on agriculture the same day.

While the bill represents the largest investment made by the United States to combat climate change, it also mandates oil and gas lease sales on public lands and waters, further underscoring the need for the Interior Department to act quickly ([link removed]) to implement the law in a way that provides maximum protection to threatened landscapes and species across the West.


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Quick hits


** BLM, oil company agree to eliminate idle wells at California's Carrizo Plain National Monument
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San Luis Obispo Tribune ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Emergency funding provided for Death Valley flood repairs
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Biden to sign sweeping climate legislation into law
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | ABC News ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Nebraska governor spreads anti-30x30 disinformation to hinder voluntary private conservation efforts
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NPR ([link removed])


** Steep cuts are coming for drought-stricken Western states that rely on the Colorado River
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PBS News Hour ([link removed]) | Las Vegas Review-Journal ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed])


** New wildfire burns in Yosemite backcountry as California heat wave hits
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SF Gate ([link removed]) | Wildfire Today ([link removed])


** Scientists call for more wolves and beavers on public lands for ecosystem benefits
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Popular Science ([link removed]) | Outdoor Life ([link removed])


** Colorado's astrotourism shines a light on the importance of the dark
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Despite the obvious urgency of the situation, the last sixty-two days produced exactly nothing in terms of meaningful collective action to help forestall the looming crisis. The unreasonable expectations of water users, including the prices and drought profiteering proposals, only further divide common goals and interests. Through our collective inaction, the federal government, the basin states and every water user on the Colorado River is complicit in allowing the situation to reach this point."
—John Entsminger, General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas Review-Journal ([link removed])
Picture this


** @USInteriorPress ([link removed])
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David Applegate has been sworn in by @SecDebHaaland ([link removed]) as Director of @USGS ([link removed]) . David’s experience will ensure @Interior ([link removed]) continues to develop the climate science needed to understand the Earth’s past, present and future climate.

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