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


** Biden makes conservation downpayment with Camp Hale designation
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Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Flyover image of the mountains and terrain that made Camp Hale an ideal World War II training ground. Credit: EcoFlight

President Biden today is expected to sign a proclamation ([link removed]) creating the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado. According to a White House fact sheet ([link removed]) , the monument will encompass more than 53,800 acres and will also include the Tenmile Range ([link removed]) , a mountain range with stunning views that is prized by hikers and rock climbers. In addition to the monument designation, Biden is expected to initiate a temporary withdrawal of 225,000 acres in the nearby Thompson Divide from potential new mining or drilling ([link removed]) . Biden's action will kickstart an environmental
analysis and public comment process that will be conducted by the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service on prohibiting energy development in the area for 20 years.

During World War II, Camp Hale housed up to 17,000 troops in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division. At an elevation of 9,200 feet, the site was ideal ([link removed]) for training in skiing, snowshoeing, and rock climbing, skills that helped the soldiers fight Axis forces in Italy. After the war, some of the same soldiers who toiled at what they called “Camp Hell ([link removed]) ” returned to the region to help launch Colorado’s booming ski industry. The area now provides critical habitat ([link removed]) for wildlife, including elk, deer, lynx, and migratory songbirds.

The designation will mark the first time the president has used his authority under the Antiquities Act to create a new national monument ([link removed]) . Last fall Biden restored protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. The Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss praised the designation, saying ([link removed]) , “This designation shows that President Biden is thinking about his conservation legacy, not just restoring the damage of the Trump years but laying the groundwork for his own legacy going forward. It is our hope that Camp Hale-Continental Divide is the first of many national monuments that the president protects.”
Quick hits


** After fending off voter-fraud attempt, Fat Bear Week has a 2022 champion: "Bear Force One"
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Rolling Stone ([link removed]) [voter fraud] | E&E News ([link removed]) [voter fraud] | Washington Post ([link removed]) [champion]


** Indigenous-led prayer walk covers over 250 miles to call for mountain renaming
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Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])


** Lawsuit alleges dirty dealings, dire bird threats at Wyoming oilfield
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WyoFile ([link removed])


** Biden makes conservation downpayment with Camp Hale designation
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | White House Fact Sheet ([link removed]) | HuffPost ([link removed]) | USA Today ([link removed]) | Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) [opinion] | Vail Daily
([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Investigation confirms Nevada gold mines violated safety rules, contributed to miner's death
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High Country News ([link removed])


** Tribal co-management movements are transforming the conservation of public lands
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Popular Science ([link removed])


** Report: National forests deliver almost half of the West's drinking water
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KUNM ([link removed])


** Secretary Haaland: Satellites will help us fight climate change
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Scientific American ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Co-management can take all kinds of forms, from substantive, meaningful, timely consultation with tribes all the way to Congress delegating authority to a tribe or tribes to jointly make decisions for a piece of land with Congress. The important thing is the actual work of meaningfully engaging tribes so that they have real influence.”
—Monte Mills, director of the University of Washington Law School’s Native American Law Center, Popular Science ([link removed])
Picture this


** @KatmaiNPS ([link removed])
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The votes are in: you’ve decided to upgrade to fish class & fly w/ 747! 747 was deemed an order of magnitude more massive than 901, who experienced troubling tummy turbulence enroute. 901 made a strong start in her 1st #FatBearWeek ([link removed]) appearance. Expect big things in the future!

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