** Trump administration to roll back NEPA requirements
------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, January 10, 2020
Nevada mining operation. Photo: BLM Nevada ([link removed])

The Trump administration announced a proposal ([link removed]) to weaken how federal agencies will handle environmental reviews for energy and infrastructure projects. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law 50 years ago, ([link removed]) and directs agencies to evaluate and mitigate the environmental impacts of development. Importantly, the law requires extensive consultation with local communities before projects can proceed.

The new proposal would allow agencies to forego or weaken NEPA reviews and ignore the climate impacts of fossil fuel development. The new regulations will also redefine what constitutes a "major federal action" ([link removed]) to exclude privately funded projects with little government funding or involvement, making it easier to approve and construct projects like oil and gas pipelines. In addition ([link removed]) , the proposed changes would restrict the allowable time for completing environmental impact reviews to two years and limit what constitutes the environmental "effects" of a given action.

The Trump administration is already losing more cases than it's winning in court ([link removed]) for conducting inadequate environmental analyses, so it's not surprising they would seek to undermine the law itself, though it is likely the changes they are proposing will also be challenged in court. The proposed changes to NEPA are expected to be published in the Federal Register today ([link removed]) , opening up a 60-day public comment period.
Quick hits


** Wyoming leads western states in unreclaimed coal sites
------------------------------------------------------------

Casper Star Tribune ([link removed])


** Tri-State Generation to close coal power plants and mines in Colorado and New Mexico
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | The Denver Post ([link removed]) | Craig Daily Press ([link removed]) | Colorado Springs Gazette ([link removed])


** Trump administration to roll back NEPA requirements
------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Post ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | CNBC News ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) | Wyoming Public Media ([link removed]) | Huffington Post
([link removed]) | Forbes ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Arizona lawmaker asks federal agencies to respect tribal nations during border wall construction
------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Public Media ([link removed])


** Concerns mount for proposed road through Utah's Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
------------------------------------------------------------

KUER ([link removed])


** Never mind the ballot, wolves are already in Colorado
------------------------------------------------------------

Craig Daily Press ([link removed]) | Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Former Grand Canyon raft guide and educator hosts natural resource management workshops for tribes
------------------------------------------------------------

Outside ([link removed])


** Opinion: The Trump administration is dismantling the National Park Service
------------------------------------------------------------

The Guardian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Weakening our nation’s bedrock environmental law will only help drilling and mining corporations at the expense of local communities, clean water, and wildlife. For three years, the Trump administration has done everything in its power to shut the public out, ignore the impacts of climate change, and ram new drilling and mining projects through the permitting process. Today’s announcement blatantly continues their track record of doing the oil and gas industry’s bidding.”
—Jesse Prentice-Dunn, Center for Western Priorities ([link removed])
Picture this


** @ ([link removed]) forestservice ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
“Conservation is the foresighted utilization, preservation and/or renewal of forest, waters, lands and minerals, for the greatest good of the greatest number for the longest time.”- Gifford Pinchot

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
Copyright © 2020 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
820 16th Street
Suite 450
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])