National

Haaland urges Biden to fully protect three national monuments weakened by Donald Trump. “Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has recommended in a confidential report that President Biden restore full protections to three national monuments diminished by President Donald Trump, including Utah’s Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and a huge marine reserve off New England. The move, described by two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was not yet public, would preserve about 5 million acres of federal land and water.” [Washington Post, 6/14/21 (+)]

Ryan Zinke Flew His Own Special Banner. Deb Haaland Flew A Pride Flag. “Within weeks of being confirmed as former President Donald Trump’s first interior secretary, Ryan Zinke revived an obscure military tradition, insisting that a security staffer raise and lower a special secretarial flag above the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., every time Zinke entered or exited the building. Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden’s interior secretary, has opted for a far more inclusive approach. On Monday, Haaland went to the building’s roof to raise a Progress Pride Flag to mark LGBTQ Pride Month. It is the first Pride flag ever to fly above the agency’s headquarters.” [HuffPost, 6/14/21 (+)]

Biden land management pick faces GOP scrutiny over decades-old tree spiking case. “Meanwhile, some of Stone-Manning’s supporters framed the matter as a “bad-faith” attack and pointed out that Stone-Manning did the “right thing” by testifying against Blount. “She testified in court against the folks who did the spiking and ended up sending people to prison because of her testimony,” said Aaron Weiss, deputy director at the Center for Western Priorities. “I would be very curious to hear why ... Senator Barrasso is so concerned about an incident from 30 years ago when he won’t support a bipartisan investigation into what happened this year under his nose at the U.S. Capitol,” Weiss said, referring to the Jan. 6 attack.” [The Hill, 6/14/21 (=)]

Two-pronged attack on BLM pick: Personal loans, 'extreme' ties. “Jennifer Rokala, the executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, retorted: "If Senator Barrasso is so worried about terrorism, he needs to clean up his own house first." Referring to the Capitol riot in January, she continued, "Barrasso voted against a bipartisan investigation into the attempted coup of January 6th, but he thinks that someone who did the right thing three decades ago should be disqualified from a Senate-confirmable job.".” [E&E News, 6/15/21 (=)]

AP | US to Transfer Federal Property for Hawaiian Home Lands. “The U.S. is giving Native Hawaiians surplus land as compensation for acres that were meant for homesteading but used instead by the federal government. The land transfer also attempts to help right wrongs against the Indigenous people of Hawaii, officials said Monday.” [U.S. News, 6/14/21 (=)]

Haaland replacement to join Natural Resources Committee. “Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) was sworn into office yesterday, less than two weeks after easily winning a special election. Stansbury, a former state lawmaker, now represents New Mexico's 1st District, which includes most of Albuquerque (E&E Daily, June 2). The district was left empty in March when Deb Haaland was confirmed as Interior secretary. She is slated to sit on the Natural Resources and Science committees, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced late yesterday.” [E&E News, 6/16/21 (=)]

Group urges IG to investigate BLM official. “A recently formed nonprofit watchdog group is asking the Interior Department's inspector general to investigate whether the Bureau of Land Management's current top official skirted ethics rules in the recent decision to pause a series of public lands orders in Alaska. At issue is whether Nada Culver, BLM's deputy director of policy and programs who is temporarily leading the bureau, participated in the April decision to impose a two-year moratorium on five public lands orders signed by former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt in January that proposed to open about 28 million acres of federal lands in Alaska to mining and oil and gas development.” [E&E News, 6/14/21 (=)]

Haaland, Granholm to headline more budget hearings. “Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will be among the top administration officials who will testify this week about the administration's spending and policy plans. When Haaland testified back in April before her former congressional colleagues who sit on the House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, the dialogue was overwhelmingly — even surprisingly — collegial.” [E&E News, 6/14/21 (=)]

State and Local

Rep. Joe Neguse pushes for better access, funding for federal lands. “Rep. Joe Neguse is pushing to improve access and funding for public lands in Colorado and around the country. Last week, Neguse, who chairs the U.S. Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, presented the subcommittee with three bills targeted at improving access to public lands and supporting Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy. By and large, the bills would help to simplify the permitting process for allowing guide services and individual parties to access public lands, ensure local communities get their fair share of ski fees paid by resorts, and promote the digitization of outdoor recreation mapping records around the country.” [Summit Daily, 6/14/21 (+)]

Op-Ed, Editorial, and Analysis

Op-Ed: Local leaders call on the Biden administration to protect the Ruby Mountains and places like it. “Together, common-sense bills like these demonstrate that there is momentum in Congress to reform the federal leasing system so it works better for everyone. These bills also provide the Biden administration a sensible roadmap to use in their review of the federal oil and gas leasing program to protect our nation’s public lands for generations to come.” [Nevada Independent, 6/15/21 (+)]

Op-Ed: Nebraska will benefit from 30x30 plan. “Nebraskans have a long list of reasons to support conservation, including the recommendations identified in the report. We cannot allow our state to be divided on such an important issue at a time when we need to be focusing our efforts on how we can help farmers and ranchers put more, not less, conservation on the ground. Nebraskans need partners such as those identified in the “America the Beautiful” report who will provide technical and financial assistance to work with neighbors to build sustainable working lands.” [North Platte Telegraph, 6/14/21 (+)]