National

Tribes Lobby Republicans To Confirm Deb Haaland As Interior Secretary. “More than two dozen tribal leaders in Oklahoma are urging their state’s Republican senators, Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, to vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s historic interior secretary nominee, Deb Haaland. “As senators for a state with 39 federally recognized Tribal nations and one of the highest Native populations in the United States, you fully recognize the importance of including Native representation at the highest levels of government,” reads a Jan. 15 letter to the senators, signed by 26 tribal leaders from around the state.” [HuffPost, 1/22/21 (+)]

The Energy 202: Biden administration puts freeze on federal fossil fuel leases and permits.“Environmentalists praised Biden for the about-face, saying the previous administration cut legal corners when leasing. “Now the Biden administration is rightfully attempting to take stock of the damage and make sure the agency is following the law, instead of rubber-stamping destructive projects that were in the pipeline,” said Jesse Prentice-Dunn, policy director at the Center for Western Priorities.” [Washington Post, 1/22/21 (=)]

Oil's allies gird for Biden fossil fuel moratorium. “The Biden administration has yet to act on its campaign promise to bar oil and gas leasing and permitting on federal lands, but the political battle has already begun. Rumors that the Biden administration will announce a one-year oil and gas moratorium this week have marshaled oil-friendly Republicans to a fight reminiscent of the Obama era. But progressives, too, are galvanized and plan to press for an even more aggressive action to retire the U.S. government's vast federal mineral estate.” [E&E News, 1/25/21 (=)]

Colo. Democrats want to keep BLM in Centennial State. “Rather than return the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters to Washington, Colorado lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to focus on beefing up the agency while keeping it in their home state. In a letter Friday to President Biden, Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet (D) and John Hickenlooper (D) asked the new administration not to shutter the Grand Junction, Colo., headquarter space that opened a year ago (Greenwire, Jan. 27, 2020).” [E&E News, 1/25/21 (=)]

Biden leans on Obama-era appointees on climate. “And a recent Interior Department order that temporarily halted new drilling permits on federal lands, a step toward the Biden campaign  promise of ending new public lands leasing, is stirring up mixed reactions.  “It is a team that is exceptionally knowledgeable in the subject areas they are getting hired for. These folks are not going to need a lot of ramp up time,” said Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities.” [The Hill, 1/23/21 (=)]

Coalition presses Biden, Congress to reinstate parks program. “Advocates are wasting no time in lobbying congressional leadership and the Biden administration to resurrect a long-standing park equity program that President Trump's Interior Department gutted in its final hours. A coalition of 181 entities that include advocacy groups, outdoors organizations, universities and local parks departments have signed onto a letter asking the new administration to reverse outgoing Interior Secretary David Bernhardt's decision on Tuesday to shift $150 million out of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program and into the Land and Water Conservation Fund's State Assistance Program” [E&E News, 1/22/21 (+)]

Heinrich calls for 'modern vision' on lands management. “New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich (D) is calling on the Biden administration to "reorient the driving missions" of public land management agencies toward addressing climate change and away from activities like extractive industry and timber harvesting. Heinrich, who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, made the remarks Friday during a virtual forum broadcast by the Outdoor Industry Association. Echoing comments he first made ahead of the November elections, Heinrich said that the Interior Department and the Agriculture Department's Forest Service must reevaluate their multiuse mandates — which include energy development, livestock grazing and recreation — to focus on climate change policies (Greenwire, Oct. 9, 2020).” [E&E News, 1/25/21 (+)]

Biden admin to review Tongass roadless-rule decision. “The Biden administration took a first step this week toward potentially reimposing restrictions on logging in the country's biggest national forest. As part of a sweeping reconsideration of Trump administration regulations, the White House ordered a review of last year's decision to exempt Alaska's Tongass National Forest from the roadless area conservation rule, which limits road construction and related development in national forests. The Tongass, at nearly 17 million acres, is one of the last intact temperate rainforests on the planet.” [E&E News, 1/22/21 (=)]

Malheur trial offers Capitol rioters a path to acquittal. “The day after the Capitol riot, Oregon defense attorney Matthew Schindler got a text message from a former client. "Do you think they could use the 'state of mind' defense?'" wrote Ken Medenbach, referring to a tactic Schindler deployed when Medenbach was on trial for occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016. A jury acquitted Medenbach — along with leaders of the 41-day armed standoff Ammon and Ryan Bundy — on a charge that has emerged as key in the Justice Department's early cases against alleged leaders of Capitol mob: conspiracy.” [E&E News, 1/22/21 (=)]

Native America tribe torches Biden admin over oil, drilling order: 'A direct attack on our economy, sovereignty'. “The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, which is located in Utah, blasted acting U.S. Interior Secretary Scott de la Vega for issuing the two-month moratorium, claiming the order violates the tribe's sovereignty. The Biden administration's action is particularly personal for the Ute Indian Tribe because they produce a significant amount of oil.” [TheBlaze, 1/24/21 (-)]

State and Local

New River Gorge: America’s newest national park is one of West Virginia’s hidden gems. “At the end of December, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that included a proposal from Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Joe Manchin III (D) of West Virginia to reclassify the New River Gorge National River’s 72,186 acres as a national park and preserve. “It’s a real victory,” Capito says. “These things aren’t easy.” There has been a local push for national park status for years, both for the prestige of the title and the tourism dollars; West Virginia has among the lowest job growth in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings. But there also has been some local resistance.” [Washington Post, 1/22/21 (+)]

Utah Republican leaders jointly denounce Biden move to halt energy leases on federal lands. “Many advocacy groups cheered the decision, though. "For four years, the Trump administration cut legal corners and rushed through massive drilling and mining projects at the behest of corporations," said Jesse Prentice-Dunn, policy director for the Center for Western Priorities. "Now the Biden administration is rightfully attempting to take stock of the damage and make sure the agency is following the law, instead of rubber-stamping destructive projects that were in the pipeline."” [KSL, 1/22/21 (=)]

Tester meets with Interior nominee Deb Haaland. “Sen. Jon Tester on Tuesday met virtually with Congresswoman Deb Haaland, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to run the U.S. Department of Interior, to congratulate her and discuss the importance of protecting Montana's public lands. Tester and Haaland spoke about supporting jobs that rely on healthy forests and public access and upholding treaty responsibilities to tribal nations, according to a news release.” [Great Falls Tribune, 1/19/21 (+)]

CT environmentalists praise Biden's action to restore underwater monument. “Environmental groups across the state are praising President Joe Biden’s executive order that will set in motion a process to review the Trump administration’s rollbacks to three national monuments — including the Marine National Monument off the coast of New England called the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. The 5,000-square-mile protected area was established in 2016 under President Barack Obama and is the first national monument in Atlantic waters. It contains vulnerable species of marine life such as right whales and fragile deep sea corals.” [Greenwich Time, 1/24/21 (+)]

What could Biden's executive orders mean for Wyoming's energy sector? ““This announcement shows President Biden is making good on his campaign promises to protect America’s land and water for future generations, address climate change head-on, and erase the Trump administration’s horrific environmental actions,” Jennifer Rokala, executive director for the Center for Western Priorities, said in response to the executive order requiring federal agencies to review Trump’s rules. “The list of policies to be reviewed is rightfully long.”” [Casper Star-Tribune, 1/23/21 (=)]

New Mexico leaders bash Biden admin's order targeting oil, drilling on federal land: 'How does that bring us together?' “The Biden administration's order has New Mexican leaders concerned, in particular, because about half of their oil production occurs on federal lands, producing hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty revenue each year, the AP noted. New Mexico Republican Party chairman Steve Pearce voiced another significant concern. He fears that the Biden administration's order could be a job killer.” [TheBlaze, 1/24/21 (-)]

Op-Ed, Editorial, and Analysis

Op-Ed: A Native American may be taking control of the Cabinet department that has shaped Native American lives. “Because of this troubled history with the federal government and the Interior Department in particular, Haaland’s nomination is a significant and historic moment for Native Americans. Having a Native American leader overseeing these policy discussions will probably result in increased collaboration among the federal government and the sovereign Indigenous nations, which will for the first time have one of their own at the table to lead those efforts.” [Washington Post, 1/25/21 (+)]

Op-Ed: Trump left environmental carnage in his wake. “As Trump exits the White House, he leaves behind a path of environmental carnage. From clean water and public lands to climate change and endangered species, there has never been a president so dead-set on liquidating America’s environmental and health safeguards. It will not be enough to simply reverse Trump’s policies. The incoming Biden administration and Congress will need to make up for lost time in the fight to protect our planet.” [Register-Guard, 1/24/21 (+)]

Op-Ed: Last-minute political maneuvers appear spiteful. “Politics aren’t war — or at least, they shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, a pair of actions taken by the Trump administration shortly before it vacated the nation’s capital smelled a lot like scorched earth. The first involved 3.4 million acres of land considered to be critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, which has been listed as a threatened species since 1990.” [Charleston Gazette-Mail, 1/23/21 (+)]

Op-Ed: Biden’s Executive Orders Will Fuel ‘Growing Divide’ in America. “Lee believes the Antiquities Act is weaponized by radical environmental activists and wealthy coastal elites “who fund them to prevent rural Americans from using public land to provide for their families.”  “I think it's important for us to return to the bargaining table and find a solution,” the Utah senator added. “I think President Biden has an opportunity to take a path of respect and compromise and unity.”” [Town Hall, 1/25/21 (-)]

Op-Ed: President Biden Prioritizes Paris Ahead of Rural America. “When was the last time Interior Secretary-Designate Debra Haaland visited North Dakota or West Virginia to talk with oil or coal workers? Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I’m still waiting for a written answer.” [Townhall, 1/23/21 (-)]

Op-Ed: Biden’s Orders Cripple Alaska’s Energy Future. “With vowed actions to further limit development on federal lands and waters, to forcibly transition from traditional energy sources to “green” ones, and inflict Alaskan households with tens of thousands of dollars in increased costs under Green New Deal-like policies, the Biden administration is already showing it isn’t going to be friendly to Alaska.” [Daily Caller, 1/23/21 (-)]

Op-Ed: Biden's halt of federal oil and gas leasing a concern to New Mexico. “We call upon all of New Mexico’s elected officials to oppose all proposals that go in the direction of eliminating drilling on public lands. Such an outcome would only punish poorer states such as New Mexico by moving more operations over to states with more privately-owned land, such as Texas.  Environmental efforts must always be balanced with consideration of economics and fairness.” [Carlsbad Current-Argus, 1/22/21 (-)]

Op-Ed: AIDEA is listening to Alaskans to preserve Alaska’s future. “The experiences of the past 50 years have established a track record of success exploring for and producing oil and gas in the harshest conditions, living up to the standards demanded by the most rigorous environmental protection laws in the world. Oil production in Alaska is cleaner and safer than anywhere else, and oil produced from leased acreage in the 1002 Area will be no different.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 1/24/21 (-)]