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


** Growing calls for Biden to protect Avi Kwa Ame
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Friday, February 17, 2023
Avi Kwa Ame photo by Alan O'Neill, used by permission

It's been 79 days since President Biden pledged to designate Nevada's Avi Kwa Ame, or Spirit Mountain, as a national monument—but he still hasn't fulfilled his promise. Now the Center for American Progress is highlighting the importance of Avi Kwa Ame for meeting the president's environmental justice commitments.

A new report from CAP ([link removed]) identifies the "nature gap" that exists around Avi Kwa Ame—an area where "93 percent of people of color are nature deprived, making them nearly twice as likely to be nature deprived than white communities living in the same area," according to Sam Zeno, the author of the analysis.

The CAP report found that in the 25 mile radius around Avi Kwa Ame ([link removed]) , which includes the Las Vegas metropolitan area, communities of color "experience heightened nature deprivation, even while surrounded by other public lands in the region."

Last fall at the White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden pledged to protect the 450,000-acre national monument ([link removed]) using his authority under the Antiquities Act, saying it was a "sacred place that is central to the creation story of so many tribes that are here today."

Once President Biden signs the proclamation designating Avi Kwa Ame, it will become one of the few national monuments to honor Indigenous history. The area around Spirit Mountain also has incredible ecological importance, with the world's largest Joshua tree forest, endangered desert bighorn sheep, and desert tortoise populations.

Learn more at honorspiritmountain.org and watch CWP's Road to 30 video postcard from Avi Kwa Ame ([link removed]) .


** Got Colorado River questions? Brad Udall explains it all
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In the latest episode of CWP's podcast ([link removed]) , The Landscape, Kate and Aaron are joined by water scientist Brad Udall to talk about the current state of the Colorado River. Water levels are dropping and something has to give or the river's main reservoirs—Lake Powell and Lake Mead—are going to run dry. But states aren’t anywhere close to an agreement on how they're going to cut back.

Udall, who teaches at Colorado State University and researches the impact of climate change on the Colorado River, is here to explain what’s going on, how dire the situation is, and what could happen next. Listen now ([link removed]) or subscribe on Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) .
Quick hits


** GAO warns abandoned mines may turn into money pits for land management agencies
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FEDweek ([link removed])


** Indigenous leaders warn proposed BLM methane venting and flaring rule falls short
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Inside Climate News ([link removed])


** Why are BP, Shell, and Exxon backing off their climate promises?
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Grist ([link removed])


** Will the Biden administration greenlight ConocoPhillips' Arctic ‘carbon bomb’?
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Sierra Magazine ([link removed])


** Meet the GOP leaders in charge of critical environmental committees
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CNBC ([link removed])


** Why AOC and the left flank matter in the fight over permitting reform
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Axios ([link removed])


** Report: protecting Avi Kwa Ame would honor tribes and increase access to nature
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E&E News ([link removed]) | Center for American Progress ([link removed])


** Study: Frequent wildfires more likely to hit low-income communities
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Jefferson Public Radio ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” The administration has said point blank that ‘no decision’ has been made on the Willow project despite moving the proposal forward in a ‘final’ environmental impact statement. We hope that as the outrage continues to pour in, President Biden and Secretary Haaland take time to reassess and reverse course.”
—Kristen Miller, Alaska Wilderness League, Sierra Magazine ([link removed])
Picture this


** @Interior ([link removed])
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At Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, you can take a break from urban living and reconnect with your natural surroundings. The refuge is a great place to explore nature and offers recreational activities for all comfort levels. Photo by Tom Kachelmeyer / USFWS

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