Congress

 

Senate

 

Senate, House To Process Roster Of Land, Park Bills — “The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee will take up more than a dozen public lands and park bills. Collective memory will be on the minds of senators as they consider a variety of measures that center on authorizing public memorials and recalling key moments in U.S. history. The bills before the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks would honor the likes of farmworkers’ union leader Cesar Chavez, civil rights advocate Ralph Abernathy Jr. and any number of women’s suffragists. And in some cases, the bills would mark moments of trauma. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for instance, has authored one bill, S. 562, to establish in Chicago the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site.” [E&E News, 6/20/23 (=)]

 

House

 

House Committee Sets Vote To Block Contentious BLM Rule — “The House Natural Resources Committee this week is almost certain to advance a bill requiring the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a proposed rule the bureau says is needed to ensure that working lands remain usable in the face of a warming climate. The highlight of Wednesday’s full committee markup hearing is H.R. 3397, introduced last month by Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah). The bill would not only require the BLM director to withdraw the draft rule, but prohibit the bureau from developing ‘any substantially similar rule’ in the future. And Curtis has amended the text of the bill to give it a new title — the ‘Western Economic Security Today Act,’ or ‘WEST Act.’ The bill’s title reflects Republicans’ broad criticisms of the draft rule as an ‘assault’ on the ‘Western way of life.’ They believe the regulation is a thinly veiled attempt by the Biden administration to remove livestock grazing, recreation, energy development and other authorized uses of BLM lands in the name of conservation. Wednesday’s markup hearing comes a week after the full committee held a legislative hearing to consider only the Curtis bill. That hearing underscored a vast partisan divide over the draft rule and its impacts on federal land management across the West.” [E&E News, 6/20/23 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Why Is The Government Taking Our Land? —According to Rep. Dan Newhouse and Margaret Byfield, “As one of his first actions in office, President Biden signed an executive order calling for at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to be conserved by 2030. This program, commonly referred to as 30x30, was launched without congressional or constitutional authority, leading to an immediate and justified outcry against federal overreach. The Biden administration argues the program is needed to mitigate climate change and calls for more federal restrictions. Yet these solutions will not stop the devastating wildfires we are witnessing, eradicate invasive weeds, restore our watersheds, or help in recovering species. Rather, seizing more control over America’s lands will lead to more of the same results. The 30x30 program backlash has caused the administration to advance its agenda using administrative avenues. In April, the Biden administration took the boldest step to date when the Bureau of Land Management circumvented Congress to issue its Conservation and Landscape Health proposed rule.” [WITN-TV, 6/19/23 (-)]

 

 

Department of the Interior (DOI)

 

Express Lane For Transmission — “Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm are in Rawlins, Wyoming today to break ground on the 700-mile TransWest Express transmission line, which received final regulatory approval in April after nearly 16 years in the permitting pipeline. The project will add 3 gigawatts of much-needed transmission capacity to carry wind energy from gusty Wyoming to southern Nevada, where it will link up with the grid in power-hungry California. But it’s also a prime example cited by permitting reform advocates of the regulatory delays that could imperil the clean energy transition. ‘If we’re looking to meet ambitious clean energy goals and mandates starting as soon as 2030, we can’t take 16 years to get a project from conception to groundbreaking,’ Larry Gasteiger, executive director of transmission owner trade group WIRES, said in an email. Gasteiger noted, however, that Granholm and Haaland’s presence at the event today ‘shines a spotlight on the need for more investment in and development of transmission.’ Rob Gramlich, founder and president of the consulting group Grid Strategies, credited the Biden administration for coordinating between agencies to advance transmission projects through the permitting pipeline.” [Politico, 6/20/23 (=)]

 

Interior: Drought Threatens 'Every Western Community' — “The Biden administration has a message for the river basins of the West: Yes, the Colorado River has taken up a lot of its attention lately, but it still cares about all of the waterways. In recent days, top Interior Department officials have made a point to highlight the agency’s work on drought projects throughout the West, acknowledging that while back-to-back efforts to secure the future of the Colorado River have dominated both headlines, it is likewise focused on projects across 17 states. ‘It’s clear the prolonged drought afflicting the American West is one of the most significant challenges facing our communities in the United States today,’ Interior Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said Friday at the Next Generation Water Summit in Santa Fe, N.M. ‘The growing drought crisis is driven by the effects of climate change, which is fundamentally changing the hydrology in crucial resources like the Colorado River,’ he added. Interior and Bureau of Reclamation officials have spent the past year negotiating on emergency plans to prepare for potential water shortages in that river basin, which serves 40 million individuals across seven states.” [E&E News, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Interior Department Announces $578.8 Million In Payments To Support Vital Services In Communities — “The Department of the Interior today (June 15th 2023) announced that more than 1,900 state and local governments around the country will receive a total of $578.8 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding for 2023. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Department’s bureaus — including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service. In addition, PILT payments cover federal lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction.” [CleanTechnica, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

 

Proposed Update To Public Land Rules Could Provide 80% Reduction In Renewable Project Fees, Says Interior — “The Department of the Interior announced Thursday a proposed update to right-of-way regulations for solar and wind energy projects on public land that it hopes will reduce capacity fees by around 80%, as well as streamline application reviews. In a release, the department said that its Bureau of Land Management would use authorizations established under the Energy Act of 2020 — which it used in 2022 to reduce fees by around 50% — to codify further reductions in acreage rents and capacity fees. The proposed rule would also expand the BLM’s authority regarding the leasing of priority areas for wind and solar development, including allowing the bureau to accept leasing applications without going through a full auction, and accept non-competitive applications that are in the public interest.” [Utility Dive, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

BLM Rule Would Allow Land Leased For Conservation In Light Of Climate Change, Recreation — “The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed Public Lands Rule would allow conservation to be considered a use of public land, allowing conservation leasing to promote restoration of habitats, migration corridors and ecosystems. ‘The BLM already does this under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and under policy and guidance that encourages programs to implement conservation and ecosystem management,’ the BLM writes in the proposal. ‘However, the BLM does not currently have regulations that directly promote conservation efforts for all resources.’ According to the proposed rule, conservation leasing could be requested by an entity outside the BLM, like a non-profit, who would then mitigate for human impacts on those public lands and ensure BLM management decisions are guided by science and data.” [Buckrail, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Bidenistas Unmask Aggressive Anti-Gas Agenda For Next 12 Mos. — “The Bidenistas have put their anti-freedom, pro-tyranny agenda into overdrive. On Tuesday, the administration released its semi-annual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, a report on the actions administrative agencies (part of the Executive Branch of government) plan to issue in the near- and long-term. Both the Interior and Energy departments are moving full speed ahead to try and lock in some of Biden’s most restrictive and punitive (to fossil energy) policies they can before the election, hoping to make it impossible to undo the damage after they lose the next election.” [Marcellus Drilling News, 6/16/23 (-)]

 

US Interior Department Looks To Boost Solar & Wind Power Development On Public Lands — “The Department of the Interior today announced a proposed update of its renewable energy regulations to promote the development of solar and wind energy on public lands. The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Renewable Energy Rule would reduce fees for these projects by around 80%, facilitate development in priority areas by streamlining review of applications, and deliver greater certainty for the private sector. ‘The Department of the Interior takes seriously our responsibility to manage the nation’s public lands responsibly and with an eye toward the increasing impacts of the climate crisis. The power and potential of the clean energy future is an undeniable and critical part of that work,’ said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Laura Daniel-Davis. ‘Under President Biden and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, this Administration is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach toward ambitious clean energy goals that will support families, boost local economies, and help increase climate resilience in communities across the West.’” [CleanTechnica, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

BLM Gives Americans 15 More Days To Comment On New Land Grab Rule, But Won’t Show Up To Hear Their Concerns — “After outcry from Western constituencies and their representatives in Congress, the Bureau of Land Management has extended the public comment period on its proposed public lands rule that threatens to upend those Americans’ way of life. The new rule proposed in March establishes a framework for ‘conservation leases’ elevated over other uses such as mining, grazing, and gas development. The agency guidelines, which were created without a congressional vote, would implement a radical departure from the ‘multiple use mandate’ outlined by Congress in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). The multiple use mandate requires the BLM, which presides over 245 million acres, primarily in the West, to make lands available for a wide variety of uses for maximum benefit. Conservation leases are poised to choke off millions of acres from those uses. In the agency’s tour promoting the proposed public lands rule, federal officials ignored red state constituents and planned meetings in urban city centers far away from the ranchers most likely to be impacted. Out of the five hearings scheduled on the new rule, just three were in person: in Denver, Albuquerque, and Reno.” [The Federalist, 6/16/23 (-)]

 

Bureau of Reclamation

 

Bureau Of Reclamation Promises Transparency As Work Begins On 2027 Colorado River Water Rules — “A public process started Thursday to reshape the way Colorado River water is distributed, with federal officials promising to collect comments about updating and enacting rules in 2027 to continue providing hydropower, drinking water and irrigation to farms, cities and tribes in seven Western U.S. states and Mexico. The U.S. Interior Department said it will publish in the Federal Register on Friday a call for replacing guidelines that expire in 2026, including pacts enacted in 2007 for states to share cutbacks in water drawn from a river diminished by drought and climate change, as well as operating plans for the key Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs. An agreement between the United States and Mexico on use of Colorado River water also is set to expire at that time. The department’s U.S. Bureau of Reclamation promised a ‘robust and transparent public process’ beginning with online virtual public meetings July 17, July 18 and July 24. It set an Aug. 15 deadline for receipt of public comments on ‘specific operational guidelines, strategies and any other issues that should be considered.’” [Fronteras, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Interior Department Works On Strategies To Protect The Colorado River — “The guidelines and strategies set in place to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River, which supplies more than one-third of Phoenix’s water, are set to expire at the end of 2026. This has prompted the Department of the Interior to initiate the formal process on Thursday, where the Bureau of Reclamation will work to develop the post-2026 Colorado River reservoir operational guidelines and strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. ‘Developing new operating guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead is a monumentally important task and must begin now to allow for a thorough, inclusive and science-based decision-making process to be completed before the current agreements expire in 2026,’ Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. The Colorado River Basin is currently facing a historic drought, the effects of climate change, and continued low-runoff conditions, reducing water availability across the region.” [Missoula Current, 6/19/23 (=)]

 

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

 

BSEE Announces $3 Million In Funding To Plug Oil And Gas Wells — “The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced earlier this month a $3 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help reduce the risk of pollution from orphaned infrastructure on the federal Outer Continental Shelf. The funding will specifically support BSEE decommissioning service contracts in the Matagorda Island lease area in the Gulf of Mexico. The funds are part of a $64 million commitment from to address orphaned oil and gas wells on public lands announced by the Department of the Interior earlier this month. ‘The funding announced today under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is critical for helping BSEE leverage available funds to tackle the backlog of decommissioning orphaned infrastructure offshore in the Gulf of Mexico,’ BSEE Director Kevin Sligh said in a statement. ‘If not properly decommissioned, offshore oil and gas infrastructure can become safety hazards, cause environmental harm, or interfere with navigation, fishing, or other uses of the Outer Continental Shelf.’ The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in U.S. history, including through a $4.7 billion investment to plug orphaned oil and gas wells.” [Workboat, 6/19/23 (+)]

 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

 

New Study Of Grizzly Bear Body Fat Could Carry ESA Weight — “It seems there’s no fat-shaming of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a new study suggests. After clawing through more than 20 years of data, an international team of scientists have determined that the Yellowstone-area grizzlies’ body fat levels have stayed the same even if competition for food has increased. Scientists call this good news, as it indicates the bears are adapting their diets to sustain the body fat they need for energy reserves, particularly during winter hibernation. ‘The study findings demonstrate the resilience of grizzly bears in the face of ecosystem change and enhance our understanding of their life history strategy,’ U.S. Geological Survey scientist Frank van Manen said in a statement. The findings could be of more than academic interest. At the urging of several Western states, the Fish and Wildlife Service is reassessing whether the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population still requires Endangered Species Act protections. In an interview Friday, van Manen said the new study showing the bear’s resilience and diet adaptability could inform the decision.” [E&E News, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

 

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 

Forest Service Extends Comment Period On Climate Resilience Plan — “The Forest Service is giving the public an additional month to offer ideas on making national forests more resilient in the face of climate change. The agency said it will take comments until July 20 on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that asks for public input on forest management — a debate that’s shaping up to be about whether and how to protect ‘mature’ and old-growth forests. In agreeing to extend the comment period, the Forest Service was responding to requests from groups such as the Federal Forest Resource Coalition, which said the broad scope of questions the agency posed requires more than the 60-day comment period first envisioned. But officials didn’t give the full extension the FFRC had asked for, until Aug. 18. A total of 36,520 comments, including form letters, have been submitted since the notice was published April 21, according to the Forest Service. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking, or ANPR, is a response to multiple Biden administration actions on forest management, including an executive order from April 2022 that directed the Forest Service to devise plans for managing the lands it oversees for climate-related risks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Among the directives is an effort to create a definition and inventory of ‘mature’ and ‘old growth’ to be used in land-use strategies.” [E&E News, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

 

States & Local

 

Alaska

 

Ambler Road Project Report Delayed Months — “A report on a private road in northern Alaska that would be used to access a mining district is being delayed by about six months. The official record of decision on the Ambler Road Project that is being put off follows the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and the White House previously indicating a release date in late 2023. However, the decision on the development highly touted by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority — which proposed the 211-mile private industrial access road — likely won’t be seen until mid-2024 at the earliest. The proposal would build the road starting from mile 161 of the Dalton Highway, going west along the southern flanks of the Brooks Range. The Ambler Road Project has seen approved permits and rights of way, but challenges and clear opposition to the project remain. A lawsuit in federal court filed by multiple Alaska Native tribes and a tribal consortium claims federal agencies violated multiple laws, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. here are concerns over lack of planning and lack of clarity on how subsistence resources, such as fish and caribou, might be protected.” [Alaska News Source, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Arizona

 

Report: AZ Cities Rank Low For Park Access — “A new report from the Trust for Public Land looked at the 100 most populated cities around the country, and found those with the highest accessibility to parks are overall healthier places to live. The group found Arizona cities placed toward the bottom third in the annual study. Researchers found that people who live in the top 25 ParkScore cities, are on average 9% less likely to suffer from poor mental health, and 21% less likely to be physically inactive than those in lower-ranked cities. Senior Vice President and Director at Trust for Public Land Dr. Howard Frumkin said parks and green spaces have ‘public health superpowers.’ ‘Contact with nature is so good for people in so many ways, that we almost wish we had a pill that would function as well as contact with nature,’ said Frumkin. ‘Lower stress, better mental health, better cognitive function. But also physical outcomes, like better birth outcomes for people who have access to green space.’” [Public News Service, 6/19/23 (=)]

 

California

 

Greater Sage Grouse Given California Endangered Species Act Protections — “The greater sage grouse, in a way, is a barometer for the health of the land. Its numbers have been dropping for years in California. Scientists have pointed to several reasons: habitat loss, land development, mining and climate change. It’s feared the bird’s subpopulations in the state could disappear. That’s why advocates for the greater sage grouse are praising a move Wednesday by the state’s Fish and Game Commission, which now provides California Endangered Species Act protections for the bird. ‘They are very uncommon in California,’ said Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. ‘They’re really a barometer for the health of the Great Basin Desert.’ In 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for the protections, which were recommended in April by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. That was followed on Wednesday by the bird’s elevation to candidate species. The move isn’t permanent. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will now perform a scientific review and return in about a year with a final recommendation. ‘It remains protected until the commission makes a decision to make it permanent or not,’ Anderson said.” [Missoula Current, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Colorado

 

BLM Makes Big Investment In Colorado Public Lands — “The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investing $161 million to restore public lands in Colorado and 10 other western states. Liz Rose, Colorado field representative with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said after a long history of development, prolonged drought and wildfires, BLM managed lands need help, and claimed the new money allocated for projects in North Park and the San Luis Valley will bring the biggest bang for the buck for ranchers, outfitters and a host of other stakeholders. ‘These strategic investments in Colorado’s wild and valuable landscapes makes Colorado a better place for hunting, fishing, recreating and making a living,’ she said. Rose noted that public lands support surrounding communities by bringing millions in outdoor recreation dollars to local restaurants, hotels and outfitters. The lands also are used to produce food and energy. The BLM has faced criticism in the past from some who would rather see states and local initiatives take the lead spending public tax dollars.” [Public News Service, 6/20/23 (+)]

 

Colorado Counties Getting $45M In Federal Funds For 23M Acres Of Tax-Exempt Land — “Almost all of Colorado’s 64 counties will receive a portion of more than $45 million in ‘payments in lieu of taxes’ from the U.S. Department of Interior to fund services throughout the state. The funds are paid to state and local governments because federal lands are tax exempt. The federal money helps defray the costs associated with maintaining a county’s services, such as law enforcement, fire protection and schools. Colorado’s amount is a 3% increase from the 2022 payment ($44.2 million) and 6% higher than 2021 ($43.1 million.) Colorado has approximately 23 million acres of federal tax-exempt land, approximately 34% of the state’s total of 67 million acres, according to information published by the Interior Department and U.S. Census Bureau. Twenty counties will receive between $949,000 and $4.1 million.” [The Center Square, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Florida

 

DeSantis Vetoes Some Land Conservation Spending In Fla. Budget — “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vetoed in the 2023-24 state budget nearly $131 million in conservation lands spending, along with $26 million on energy programs within Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s department. DeSantis (R) signed the $116.5 billion budget at the Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce, where he highlighted environmental spending amid criticism from environmentalists that he too often sides with developers and industry on legal and policy matters. ‘At the end of the day, I think this is probably as strong [a budget for the environment] as we’ve ever done in the state of Florida,’ said DeSantis, who is running for president. But some environmentalists expressed disappointment at the veto of $100 million for the agriculture department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, as did Simpson, who took office in January. The money, Simpson said, would have been spent toward protecting the 18-million-acre Florida Wildlife Corridor as designated by the Legislature in 2021. With 1,000 residents moving to Florida daily, Simpson responded Thursday that Florida must protect the $180-billion-a-year agriculture industry and its contribution to the nation’s food supply.” [E&E News, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Montana

 

Governor Gordon Opposes “Boneheaded” BLM Conservation Leases — “On Thursday morning, Governor Mark Gordon provided testimony to the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health proposed rule and in favor of a bill to withdraw that rule. Making Wyoming’s case that the proposed rule oversteps the federal agency’s authority while undermining the important role that states play in developing management plans for public lands, Governor Gordon stated, ‘Let me say, my administration values the relationships we have with Wyoming B.L.M. staff, which is why it seems so boneheaded to spurn valuable, on-the-ground stakeholder knowledge and the ability to work with local partners to craft a useful way forward. Wildlife management is the responsibility and squarely within the authority and purview of the states – not the federal Government.’ At the heart of the controversial proposed rule is the lack of transparency on the B.L.M.’s part. While the B.L.M. held in-person information sessions in Denver, Albuquerque, and Reno, where the public could ask questions but not provide public testimony.” [Big Horn Basin Media, 6/19/23 (=)]

 

Nevada

 

Nevada Senator Asking Congress To OK Vegas-Area Water Pipeline Through US Conservation Area — “A proposal to tunnel beneath a national conservation area to install a second pipeline to deliver Colorado River water to a large swath of suburban Las Vegas has drawn support from Nevada’s senior Democratic senator. U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto announced Thursday she introduced legislation asking Congress to let the Southern Nevada Water Authority drill the underground pipeline through part of Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. ‘This legislation will increase the capacity of our entire water system in the (Las Vegas) valley while protecting our unique ecosystems and the residents and businesses in Henderson,’ Cortez Masto said in a statement. Federal funds are not part of the $2.5 billion project cost, and construction is not expected to begin for at least two years, said Bronson Mack, water authority spokesman. Construction is not expected to disturb the desert surface, although survey work would be conducted.” [Associated Press, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Tribal Activists Reject The Nevada Mine Biden Hails As A Key To Clean Energy — “Just 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation where Daranda Hinkey and her family corral horses and cows, a centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s clean energy plan is taking shape: construction of one of the largest lithium mines in the world. As heavy trucks dig up the earth in this remote, windswept region of Nevada to extract the silvery-white metal used in electric-vehicle batteries, the $2.2 billion project is fueling a backlash. ‘No Lithium. No mine!″ proclaims a large hand-painted sign in Hinkey’s front yard. The Biden administration says the project will help mitigate climate change by speeding the shift away from fossil fuels. But Hinkey and other opponents say it is not worth the costs to the local environment and people. Similar disputes are taking place around the world as governments and companies advancing renewable energy find themselves battling communities opposed to projects that threaten wildlife, groundwater and air quality.” [Associated Press, 6/20/23 (=)]

 

Governor Signs Law Prioritizing Safe Wildlife Crossings In Nevada — “Gov. Joe Lombardo has signed Assembly Bill 112 into law, which will increase the number of safe wildlife crossings in Nevada. The measure will create a Wildlife Crossings account in the state’s General Fund, and call on the departments of Transportation and Wildlife to collaboratively identify where animal crossings are needed. Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, deputy director of the Nevada Conservation League, said the law appropriates $5 million for the account, to be used as matching money to leverage federal funding to invest in underpasses and overpasses permitting wildlife to cross roads safely. She called it a win for Nevadans and wildlife. ‘In Nevada alone, we spend about $20 million every year on these collisions between wildlife and vehicles,’ Cabrera-Georgeson reported. ‘It kills wildlife, it kills and injures people. But these crossings have been shown to reduce these collisions by up to 90%, so they are incredibly effective.’” [Public News Service, 6/19/23 (+)]

 

New Mexico

 

More Funding Could Be On The Way To Clean Up New Mexico's Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells — “More money could be coming to New Mexico to plug abandoned oil and gas wells on federal public land as the Department of Interior targets wells nationwide on national park grounds. The DOI announced June 8 it was earmarking about $64 million to address orphaned wells in national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands and waters. The work was intended to address air pollution from methane emissions, along with water and land impacts, the DOI said, from wells left abandoned by oil companies. In New Mexico, wells become abandoned when operators deem them unviable financially, leaving them non-producing and non-monitored for ongoing impacts to the environment. Operators throughout the state pay into bonding when they drill a well, money used to fund remediation, but this is often insufficient and government agencies like New Mexico’s Oil Conservation Division (OCD) must pick up the difference.” [Carlsbad Current-Argus, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Biden Administration Prohibits New Drilling Adjacent To Precious Tribal Land — “President Joe Biden’s administration has issued a 20-year prohibition on new drilling and mining in the vicinity of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. Chaco Canyon possesses a desert landscape with significant Indigenous cultural sites. The ban encompasses all federally managed lands within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. However, it does not impact existing oil and gas leases or mineral development on private, state, or tribal lands. President Biden initially took steps to preserve the area in November 2021. The Secretary of the Interior stated that this measure will protect ‘irreplaceable cultural sites where Pueblo and Tribal Nations continue to honor their ancestral traditions and customs.’ Interior Secretary Deb Haaland acknowledged that efforts to preserve the Chaco landscape have been ongoing for years due to concerns raised by Tribal communities about the adverse effects of new development on culturally significant areas.” [Vigour Times, 6/18/23 (=)]

 

Oregon

 

Reintroduced Owyhee Wilderness Bill Includes New Features — “A bill that would protect about 1.1 million acres of the Owyhee Canyonlands in Oregon as wilderness while preserving grazing and encouraging local decisions has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. Senate Bill 1890 was introduced June 8 by Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Compared to versions introduced in 2019 and last fall, it has added flexibility for ranchers and a bigger role for a multi-stakeholder group. ‘All of these improvements based on community input strengthen the bill’s economic benefits and protection of traditional eastern Oregon livelihoods as well as the legislation’s prospects for passage,’ Hank Stern, Wyden’s Oregon press secretary, told Capital Press. A committee hearing could be held next month.” [Capital Press, 6/17/23 (=)]

 

Proposed Plan Protects 400,000 Acres In Southeastern OR — “A newly released management plan for the Owyhee landscape in Oregon will bring greater protections for more than 400,000 acres of public land. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment has been 20 years in the making. It protects 400,000 acres for their wilderness value. Julie Weikel was a member of the Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council, which helped develop the plan. She said protections are critical for wildlife in the region. ‘With respect to climate change,’ said Weikel, ‘it’s going to be absolutely essential to have these big intact pieces of landscape in order for wildlife to figure out how to survive.’ Weikel said the region is a crucial wildlife corridor and also important habitat for sage grouse. She said more needs to be done to protect the landscape, but called the plan a major step forward. A 30 day period began on Friday, when the plan was published, for anyone who wants to protest it. Gov. Tina Kotek’s office has 60 days to review the plan.” [Public News Service, 6/19/23 (=)]

 

Utah

 

Republican Governors Intensify Resistance To Plan To Sell Land Leases For Conservation — “Republican governors are pushing back against a proposal by the Biden administration to put conservation on equal footing with industry on vast government-owned lands. On Thursday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem testified before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources in favor of a bill that would require the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw the proposal, saying it would cause ‘deep devastation.’ The White House’s plan would allow conservationists and others to lease federally owned land to restore it, much the same way oil companies buy leases to drill and ranchers pay to graze cattle. Leases also could be bought on behalf of companies such as oil drillers who want to offset damage to public land by restoring acreage elsewhere. The top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, said the proposal was ‘long overdue,’ noting that conservation historically ‘has taken a back seat to all other uses.’” [KFYR-TV, 6/17/23 (=)]

 

Deseret News | New Rule Would Allow For Conservation Leases On Public Land, But Some Western Politicians, Including Cox, Are Skeptical — “A new rule from the Bureau of Land Management that would allow for conservation leases on public land is seeing pushback from some western Republicans, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Rep. John Curtis. The rule — ‘Conservation and Landscape Health’ — would add conservation to the list of land uses, which includes things like livestock grazing, energy projects, mineral extraction and recreation. Proponents say it’s a needed tool for stewardship, and will put conservation on par with other uses. Opponents claim it’s a threat to the idea of multiple use and could harm industries that rely on leasing public land. Cox was one of six governors to recently sign a letter opposing the rule, claiming it would ‘fundamentally alter’ the future management of certain public lands. During a U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources hearing Thursday, Curtis said the bureau did not hold enough public meetings when deciding the rule, and that there are already successful conservation efforts in Utah.” [Yahoo! News, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Wisconsin

 

Judge Orders Stretch Of Pipeline That Crosses Tribal Land To Shut Down In Three Years — “A federal judge has ordered a Canadian oil firm to shut down a section of its pipeline in Wisconsin that crosses tribal land, a partial victory for indigenous groups that have long opposed the project. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge William Conley of the Western District of Wisconsin, an Obama appointee, sided with members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa over a stretch of the Line 5 pipeline from Canadian firm Enbridge. The tribe has argued the area of the pipeline is at risk of rupture, while erosion of the banks of the Bad River has left only about 15 feet of land separating the pipeline and the river. Conley agreed with the tribe on the environmental risks of the situation but did not agree a state of emergency warranted an immediate shutdown. In addition to ruling for a gradual shutdown within three years, he ordered the energy firm to pay the tribe $5 million in damages for trespassing. His Friday ruling expressed concerns that an immediate halt to the pipeline would disrupt energy security in the area and make consumer fuel costs spiral.” [The Hill, 6/19/23 (=)]

 

As Battles Over Oil Pipeline Grind On, Tribes Fear Great Lakes, Treaty Rights At Risk — “Just the name — Line 5 — can elicit polarizing emotions. To some, Enbridge Inc.’s pipeline is an environmental roll of the dice, what Michelle Woodhouse, the program manager of water for Environmental Defence Canada, calls ‘gambling with the world’s largest freshwater system.’ To others, it’s a safe way to move 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids every day — ‘energizing Michigan since 1953,’ as Enbridge’s website boasts. The pipeline crosses 645 miles, beginning at Enbridge’s Superior Terminal, in Superior, Wisconsin, continuing through northern Wisconsin, crossing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, traveling under the Straits of Mackinac, through Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and on to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario. The Calgary-based company earns up to $2 million per day from the pipeline, and supplies upwards of 55% of Michigan’s propane needs, according to the Enbridge website. The pipeline also serves refineries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec.” [USA Today, 6/17/23 (=)]

 

Wyoming

 

Governor Seeks Public Comment On Sage-Grouse Core Area Map Revisions — “The initial revisions were developed and are being proposed by the Sage-grouse Implementation Team (SGIT) subcommittee. The original sage-grouse core area protection strategy and map were developed in 2008, revised in 2015 and again in 2019. The core area map encompasses approximately 15 million acres of sage-grouse habitat in Wyoming. According to information from the Governor’s Office, the Bureau of Land Management is considering significant land use amendments that may alter the management of sage-grouse habitat on public lands. As part of this process, the BLM will update its sage-grouse habitat map. It is the intention of the State of Wyoming that this takes place in a collaborative manner that recognizes and implements SGIT recommendations. That SGIT subcommittee was asked to consider and review new science and data. The recommendations include input from conservation interests, private landowners, energy development officials, local government and state agencies. Their recommendations have been further informed by a series of meetings with seven local sage grouse working groups and interested parties over the past three week” [Sheridan Media, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

WY US Representative Harriet Hageman Calls Proposed US BLM Rule Harmful To Wyoming — “Wyoming US Representative Harriet Hageman has a similar viewpoint to that of Governor Mark Gordon when it comes to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health’s proposed rule. In late March, the U.S. BLM announced its intent to protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat and make management decisions based on science and data. Governor Gordon testified in Washington a few days ago saying that such issues are for state BLM’s to deal with. Hageman says the new rule would be harmful to Wyoming. ‘The new BLM so-called conservation rule has the potential of just absolutely devastating agriculture in the interior west, because what they are going to do is they’re going to stop all grazing on public lands. That’s the intent of it and it’s not only going to affect our farmers and ranchers, it’s going to destroy our local communities.’” [Sheridan Media, 6/16/23 (=)]

 

Conservation Group Says Wyoming Industry Concerns About Conservation Leases Overblown — “A proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management to allow public land to be leased for conservation in the same way it is leased for grazing and oil and gas development has industries that rely on public lands crying foul, saying it’s a thinly veiled attempt to end that development. But Josh Osher, public policy director for the Western Watersheds Project, said those concerns are overblown. Ranching and oil and gas industry representatives testified this week at a Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee hearing that the rule, if it were to become final, would block other uses of that public land. Osher said that isn’t true. ‘The BLM has bent over backwards to tell them that conservation leasing will have no impact on their permits,’ Osher told Cowboy State Daily.” [Cowboy State Daily, 6/17/23 (=)]

 

 

 

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