The Inflation Reduction Act could prove to be transformative — if the administration follows through with implementation.

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


** Help wanted: Agencies staff up to implement the new climate law
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Monday, October 3, 2022
Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building, U.S. Government Services Administration ([link removed])

The Inflation Reduction Act could prove to be transformative — if the administration follows through with implementation. Successful implementation will require rulemaking to craft regulations that actually implement the new law, and significant investments in capacity ([link removed]) at federal agencies to carry out necessary rulemakings and distribute grant funds made available by the IRA.

Many federal agencies are still recovering from damage inflicted during the Trump administration in the form of funding cuts and declining staffing levels ([link removed]) . Many career civil servants, discouraged by the Trump administration's policies, left their jobs and took their experience with them ([link removed]) , and those jobs often went unfilled.

Effective and efficient implementation of the IRA will require significant and rapid staffing additions to replace lost capacity and to develop implementing regulations that will turn the IRA's policy goals into reality on the ground.

As University of Utah law professor Jamie Pleune explained on the Landscape ([link removed]) in a discussion of the National Environmental Policy Act and energy infrastructure permitting reform, "Unproductive delays are delays that are caused by a lack of agency capacity - not having the person who has sufficient expertise to analyze the project, not having mentoring within the agency to help someone who's new get through the process efficiently, not having an adequate budget to be able to properly and quickly process the permit."
Quick hits


** Between megadrought and wildfires, ranchers are struggling to maintain a way of life
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The Guardian ([link removed])


** Federal officials consider targeting evaporation losses in Colorado River's Lower Basin
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KUNC ([link removed])


** Methane flaring may be even worse than we thought
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Now that the climate law has passed, agencies are shifting focus to implementation
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Shade is solar's new superpower
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Opinion: Post-wildfire rebuilding decisions must prioritize science, not sentiment
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed])


** 15,000-year-old rocks tell the story of Idaho's past
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Idaho Statesman ([link removed])


** Artists document the splendor and decline of Montana's glaciers
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Missoulian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” If we really want to help our neighbors, we should be honest with the thousands of people...who are banking on a dream that science tells us will more likely turn out to be a nightmare. ...we need state rules that halt building in places we know will be hit by repeated disasters, and set expectations for people who choose to live there anyway.”
—Anita Chabria and Erika D. Smith, L ([link removed]) os Angeles Times ([link removed])
Picture this


** @ ([link removed]) mypubliclands ([link removed])
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Happy anniversary to the Wild & Scenic Rivers & National Trails System acts! 🎊👏

Signed in 1968, the acts empower the Bureau of Land Management to safeguard designated rivers & trails for the benefit of present & future generations. We are excited to preserve these important places & look forward to keeping these special places beautiful well into the future!

A big THANK YOU to all the local, state and federal agencies, Tribal communities and non-profit organizations that make our rivers and trails a multi-jurisdictional success!

📸 Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (Bob Wick)

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