** Balancing conservation and development in the Las Vegas Valley
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Thursday, January 16, 2020
Red Rock National Conservation Area, 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip | Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

Las Vegas is booming. Local officials expect an additional 600,000 residents in coming decades and public lands surrounding the city are feeling the pressure. On Tuesday, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto released draft legislation ([link removed]) seeking to open some public lands for development, while significantly expanding national recreation areas and establishing more than 300,000 acres of new wilderness. The draft bill pushes back on a years-old proposal by county officials that some see ([link removed]) as a giveaway to developers.

Many local organizations worry about the climate impacts of continued sprawl in the Las Vegas Valley. Brian Beffort, director of Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter, noted ([link removed]) , "Las Vegas is already one of the fastest-warming cities in the nation, our air quality is among the worst in the nation, and our water future is uncertain at best." Negotiations over draft legislation are expected to continue in the coming months.
Quick hits


** New Mexico puts oil and gas companies on notice after flyovers spot methane leaks, flares
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New Mexico Political Report ([link removed]) | KRWG ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])


** Top Interior lawyer tapped Koch network for nominations to National Park Service board
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Yahoo News ([link removed])


** Fish and Wildlife Service officials worry about border wall impact on national wildlife refuges
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The Hill ([link removed])


** After announcing coal plant closures, Colorado utility pledges 50% renewables in five years
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Denver Post ([link removed]) | Durango Herald ([link removed])


** BLM approves massive solar project in California desert
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Desert Sun ([link removed])


** Proven reserves of U.S. oil and gas reach all time high
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Mountain West News Bureau ([link removed])


** Nevada senator seeks compromise legislation to develop public lands near Las Vegas, protect new wilderness
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Nevada Independent ([link removed])


** Opinion: Tribal management of National Bison Range is restorative justice
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Missoulian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The emissions documented in many of these videos are unacceptable to this Department and pose significant health and safety risks to New Mexico communities and employees of these companies.”
—James Kenney, Secretary of New Mexico Environment Department | KRWG ([link removed])
Picture this

Sunset over Saguaro National Park in Arizona
Photo by Ingrid Lozada | @Interior ([link removed])

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