Public Lands Clips: May 3, 2024

 

 

Biden Makes California Conservation Push With Monument Expansions — “President Joe Biden added to his administration’s aggressive bid to conserve the nation’s natural lands Thursday by expanding a pair of national monuments in California. In a private ceremony at the White House on Thursday morning, Biden signed proclamations to expand both the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument near Los Angeles and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument north of Sacramento. The expansions, encouraged by Democratic lawmakers as well as tribal nations and environmental organizations, will add 120,000 acres to the 41 million acre tally touted by the administration. That total includes Biden’s use of the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create five monuments in his first term, as well as restore more than 2 million acres of lands to a pair of monuments in Utah that had been excised by the Trump administration. That law allows presidents to protect existing federal lands to conserve areas of scientific, historic or cultural importance.” [E&E News, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Preserving Tribal Heritage: President Biden Expands Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — “U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which covers parts of Colusa County, and the renaming of a ridgeline in an effort to conserve and restore national lands. As part of Biden’s ‘America the Beautiful Initiative,’ action taken Thursday was a 13,696-acre expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California’s Inner Coast Range. This includes the protection of an 11-mile-long ‘north-south ridgeline that is sacred to the Patwin people and hosts a mosaic of rare natural features supported by the area’s unique geologic and hydrologic features,’ officials said. The presidential proclamation also includes a permanent renaming of the ridgeline, which was previously known as ‘Walker Ridge,’ to ‘Molok Luyuk,’ which according to federal officials means ‘Condor Ridge’ in the language of the Patwin people.” [The Appeal Democrat, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Biden Expands 2 National Monuments In California Significant To Tribal Nations — “President Joe Biden on Thursday expanded two national monuments in California following calls from tribal nations, Indigenous community leaders and others for the permanent protection of nearly 120,000 acres (48,562 hectares) of important cultural and environmental land. The designations are part of the Democratic president’s ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative, launched in 2021 in line with Biden’s campaign promises, and builds on the Great American Outdoors Act. They’re aimed at honoring tribal heritage, meeting federal goals to conserve 30% of public lands and waters by 2030 and addressing climate change, the White House said in a news release. Against the backdrop of Biden’s reelection campaign, the White House emphasized the role of Vice President Kamala Harris in ensuring protections in her home state. The state of California also has conservation targets.” [Associated Press, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

President Biden Expands Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument In Northern California — “President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, the White House announced Thursday. In a statement, the White House said the expansion, which was authorized by Biden under the Antiquities Act, honors ‘Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples through the protection of this sacred California landscape and its historically and biologically important features, while conserving our public lands and growing America’s outdoor recreation economy.’ The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument consists of around 330,000 acres of the California Coast Ranges in Napa, Yolo, Solano, Lake, Colusa, Glenn and Mendocino counties.” [CBS San Francisco, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Biden Signs Proclamation Expanding 2 California National Monuments — “President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Thursday to expand two California national monuments in an effort to ‘honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples and expand access to nature’ — including one right in Sacramento’s backyard. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument spans across Napa, Yolo, Solano, Lake, Colusa, Glenn and Mendocino counties and will now expand another 13,696 acres of public lands, according to a White House press release. The extra land is also intended to further protect threatened and endangered fish and wildlife. It is home to outdoor recreational facilities and is used for scientific research. ‘These expansions will increase access to nature, boost our outdoor economy, and honor areas of significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples as we continue to safeguard our public lands for all Americans and for generations to come,’ said Vice President Kamala Harris.” [KXTV-TV, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

President Biden Expands Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — “Nearly nine years after its creation by presidential action, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument has been expanded. On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation expanding the 330,780-acre monument — most of which is within Lake County’s borders — by another 13,696 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and located on the eastern ridge of the original monument area in Lake and Colusa counties. The new 11-mile-long, north-south ridgeline area added to the monument encompasses the area known for many years as ‘Walker Ridge,’ a tract which at Biden’s direction is now being renamed ‘Molok Luyuk,’ which means ‘Condor Ridge’ in the Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which requested the expansion. ‘We thank President Biden for expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and protecting Molok Luyuk, an area steeped in thousands of years of rich history and profound meaning to the Patwin people, whose traditional territory stretches south from these hills to the shores of San Pablo Bay and east to the Sacramento River,’ said Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts.” [Lake County News, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Biden Expands Protections For 2 National Monuments In Calif. — “President Joe Biden on Thursday expanded protections on nearly 120,000 acres of land for two California national monuments considered sacred to Native Americans, while permanently returning one to its original Indigenous name. The proclamation to expand protections for the Berryessa Snow Mountain and San Gabriel Mountain National Monuments comes on the heels of calls from tribes, conservation groups and lawmakers who argued that the move would safeguard sacred lands and preserve and restore habitat vital for wildlife and biodiversity threatened by climate change. Under the Antiquities Act, the president’s proclamation protects an additional 13,696 acres adjacent to the Berryessa Snow Mountain that’s considered sacred to the Patwin people and hosts a mosaic of rare natural features unique to the area’s geologic and hydrologic elements, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The expansion adds to the monument’s already 330,000 protected acres near Napa, which are managed by the DOI and jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service.” [Law360, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Biden Signs Proclamation Expanding San Gabriel Mountains National Monument — “The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will be expanded in a proclamation signed by President Joe Biden Thursday. It is part of the White House administration’s American the Beautiful Initiative and will add nearly 106,000 acres to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. President Barack Obama designated the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in 2014. The proclamation by Biden will add 105,919 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to the south and west of the current monument’s 346,177 acres; protect additional cultural, scientific, and historic objects; and expand access to outdoor recreation on our shared public lands for generations to come, according to a release from the White House. Biden is also signing a proclamation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument on Thursday. It will protect a total of 120,000 acres in California.” [My News LA, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Biden Expands Two National Monuments In California By 120,000 Acres — “President Biden announced today that the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments will be expanded by 120,000 acres. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, located northwest of Sacramento, encompasses nearly 331,000 acres. President Biden’s proclamation aims to increase the size of this monument by 13,696 acres, offering opportunities for various recreational activities. In Northern California, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s efforts to include Molok Luyuk (Condor Ridge) within the Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument highlight its millennia-old connection to their heritage. The area holds immense importance for religious ceremonies and trade routes. ‘We thank President Biden for expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and protecting Molok Luyuk, an area steeped in thousands of years of rich history and profound meaning to the Patwin people, whose traditional territory stretches south from these hills to the shores of San Pablo Bay and east to the Sacramento River,’ said Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts in a press release. ‘Elements of the natural landscape on the ridge have traditional cultural significance to us. We look forward to the day when condors fly over Molok Luyuk once again.’” [Native News Online, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Biden Signs Expansion Of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — “President Joe Biden was expected to sign a proclamation Thursday expanding not only the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California but also the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Southern California. ‘Together, these actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance, adding unparalleled value to these already beloved national monuments and expanding outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities,’ according to a statement from the White House. The proclamation for the Berryessa Snow Mountain expansion also renames the ridgeline at the heart of the expansion, previously known as Walker Ridge, to Molok Loyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the language of the area’s Patwin people.” [Patch, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Public Lands Groups Cheer Expansion Of Two CA National Monuments — “Conservation groups, tribes and community organizers are praising President Joe Biden’s decision Thursday to expand two national monuments in California. Together, the monuments will gain about 120,000 acres. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is 90 minutes northwest of Sacramento and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument lies just east of Los Angeles. Brenda Gallegos, public lands manager for the nonprofit Hispanic Access Foundation, said millions of urban families live close to the San Gabriel Mountains. ‘A lot of our Latino communities don’t have access to nature, prominently, like 67% of Latino communities don’t have access to green spaces or blue spaces,’ Gallegos pointed out. ‘Having these expansions designated today brings us closer to closing that nature gap.’” [Public News Service, 5/3/24 (+)]

 

Sacramento Bee | President Biden Expands Berryessa Snow Mountain Monument In California To Protect Molok Luyuk Ridge — “President Joe Biden will expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Yolo County, a move that aims to safeguard nearly 134,000 acres including a ridgeline known as Molok Luyuk, which holds significance for local Native tribes. Formerly known as Walker Ridge, the earthen backbone rising east of Clear Lake boasts unique geology and botanic life. The Biden administration said Thursday that the expansion underscores the president’s commitment to locally driven conservation. ‘Locally led conservation efforts are at the heart of what we are advancing in the Biden-Harris administration,’ said Secretary Deb Haaland in the statement. ‘Molok Luyuk is sacred to the Tribes who have long advocated for its protection, and thanks to President Biden’s leadership, it will now be protected for future generations.’” [Spokesman Review, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Biden Signs 105,919-Acre Expansion Of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument — “L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the SCV, issued a statement Thursday applauding the expansion. ‘Today’s approved expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a big deal,’ Barger’s statement said. ‘It will drive the federal government to invest more resources to permanently protect and conserve these important natural lands. As more development comes to Los Angeles County, I believe it is critical to conserve open spaces that help our local residents and visitors connect to nature and wildlife. Preserving these special lands for future generations is important.’ … Rudy Ortega Jr., president of the Fernandeño-Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, was in Washington, D.C., for the signing ceremony on Thursday and released a statement thanking Biden. ‘We are deeply moved that the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is expanding,’ Ortega said in the statement. ‘Over 80,000 acres of the expansion are located within our Fernandeño territory, with 30% of our 900-plus tribal citizens descending from villages that predate the existence of California. We thank the Biden administration for making this longstanding vision a reality.’” [The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Leaders Celebrate Expansion Of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — “President Biden has expanded two culturally significant California landscapes: The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Southern California and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California. The expansion will include approximately 13,696 additional acres of federally owned public land in Lake and Colusa counties, encompassing the entirety of the Molok Luyuk region within the monument. The move on Thursday follows calls from tribal nations, Indigenous community leaders and others for the permanent protection of nearly 120,000 acres of important cultural and environmental land. The U.S. National Park Service notes that the action is allowed under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The act authorizes the president to legally protect cultural and natural resources on federal lands that are historic, prehistoric or of historic or scientific interest.” [Times Herald, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Biden Signs 2 Proclamations Expanding California Landmarks — “President Joe Biden on Thursday signed two proclamations expanding California’s San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The San Gabriel proclamation adds 105,919 acres of federally protected land south and west of the monument’s existing 346,177 acres. Though adjacent to the highly developed areas of Los Angeles, the expansion area includes untouched natural land that offers more access to outdoor recreation and homes to protected wildlife such as the endangered California condor. ‘The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a crown jewel for Los Angeles. It is a backyard to millions of people, and is also home to cultural resources, rare animals and plants, unique geology and dynamic forests, rivers and high peaks,’ Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. ‘President Biden’s actions today ensure this remarkable place is protected for current and future generations.’” [Native News Online, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Editorial: Biden Expanded Two National Monuments In California. Three More To Go — “President Biden’s move Thursday to expand two national monuments in California is unquestionably good news for our climate and environment. One proclamation will increase the size of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by nearly one third, adding more than 105,000 acres of mountains and foothills above communities from Sylmar to Monrovia that were left out when President Obama first designated the area in 2014. The other will add 13,696 acres to Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California to protect Molok Luyuk, or Condor Ridge. But Biden shouldn’t stop there. His administration should build on these conservation efforts and extend monument status to three other ecologically rich California landscapes with deep significance to Indigenous tribes. The most significant proposal would create Chuckwalla National Monument on more than 600,000 acres of federal land near Joshua Tree National Park stretching from the Coachella Valley to the Colorado River. Another would establish the 200,000-acre Sáttítla Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument near Mt. Shasta. The third would designate Kw’tsán National Monument on 390,000 acres in Imperial County along the border with Mexico and Arizona.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Senate

 

Deb Haaland’s Tough Week On Capitol Hill — “Asked by E&E News to compare her week on Capitol Hill to a trip to the dentist, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland laughed. All in all, it was likely worse. Haaland sat for more than six hours of testimony this week before the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Lawmakers bludgeoned her with attacks on policy and also made some personal digs. Republicans, who are frequently harsh on Haaland, aired their grievances with particular fervor over the Interior Department’s recent moves to restrict oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and block the Ambler mining access road, along with the department’s new land management rule. Not to be outdone, Democratic Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin of West Virginia unloaded on Haaland over the Biden administration’s energy policy. ‘The radical climate advisers in the White House have put election-year politics ahead of a thoughtful and achievable long-term strategy for the country,’ Manchin said.” [E&E News, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

Manchin, Haaland Square Off Over Interior Energy Policies — “The Democratic chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee pulled no punches Thursday as he joined Republicans in assailing myriad Biden administration policies and practices. In a blistering introduction to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia presented a wide-ranging indictment that blasted Interior’s energy-related decisions as well as the department’s alleged unresponsiveness to Congress. ‘The radical climate advisers in the White House have put election-year politics ahead of a thoughtful and achievable long-term strategy for the country,’ Manchin said. Manchin added that ‘members of this committee are tired of asking again and again, ‘When will we see progress on action required by the law?’ and being told ‘soon’ or ‘we are working on it.’ Even worse, I’m tired of hearing, ‘I’ll get back to you on that.’ Though far from the first time that Manchin has criticized the Biden administration’s energy policies, his extended recitation of specific complaints Thursday drew plaudits from committee Republicans, with Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota saying it was ‘right on.’” [E&E News, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Senators Grill Haaland On Biden's Energy Strategy — “Interior Secretary Deb Haaland faced intense scrutiny from senators regarding the Biden administration’s energy policies during her appearance before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. … ‘The radical climate advisers in the White House have put election-year politics ahead of a thoughtful and achievable long-term strategy for the country.’ — Senator Joe Manchin. Why this matters: As the Biden administration aims to align energy policy with environmental goals, the scrutiny from senators signals a growing divide on energy and climate priorities and ongoing struggles to reduce greenhouse emissions. Read more: Natural gas vs. renewable energy — beware the latest gas industry talking points.” [Environmental Health News, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Haaland Faces Senate Heat Over Interior Dept.'s Land Policies — “U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland on Tuesday defended her agency’s commitment to fostering energy development on public lands as U.S. senators criticized her agency over issues ranging from new rules to the pace of energy leasing and project permitting. Haaland appeared before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to discuss the DOI’s budget request for the 2025 fiscal year, but spent most of her testimony fielding tough questions about the Biden administration’s energy and environmental policy priorities. One policy several committee members zeroed in on was the rule proposed in March by the Bureau of Land Management that conservation of federally managed lands would be granted the same value as oil and gas development and other economic activities. Republican committee members said the BLM is wrongly claiming it has the authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act’s multiple-use framework to designate conservation lands and that the rule will stymie energy development and other activities.” [Law360, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Interior Secretary Haaland Stands Up To Heat Over Drilling, Mining Restrictions — “With optimism for clean energy development and an insistence that the Interior Department is following both the law and the science in decisions critics say are throttling domestic fossil fuel production, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland defended the agency’s budget request across two days of hearings before Senate and House committees. Interior is seeking $18 billion for fiscal year 2025, a $935 million or 5% increase over the prior year. Democrats mostly saw Interior’s work as finally holding oil and gas companies accountable for their pollution and getting taxpayers a fair share of revenues from production on public lands and waters. But Haaland took heat from lawmakers who questioned the budget increase given the department’s cut back on oil and gas lease sales, restrictions on drilling and mining and delays in implementing certain statutory tasks. Haaland boasted about surpassing ahead of schedule the goal of permitting 25 GW of renewable energy on public lands by 2025, with 29 GW on the books, saying ‘Interior is leading the way to a clean energy future.’ Still, Senator Angus King, Independent-Maine, called for greater urgency to permitting clean energy projects during the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing May 2. ‘Eisenhower retook Europe in 11 months; nothing should take longer than that,’ he said of environmental reviews.” [S&P Global, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Sen. Josh Hawley Grills Interior Secretary Haaland: "So You're Not In Charge?" — “Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley grilled Interior Secretary Deb Haaland about off-the-books meetings her subordinates had with representatives of a Swiss billionaire: SEN. JOSH HAWLEY: Do you know the group the Wilderness Society? SECRETARY DEB HAALAND: I have heard of it. Yes. HAWLEY: And to your knowledge, what is this group? HAALAND: It sounds like the name is explanatory. HAWLEY: It’s a left-wing environmentalist pressure group. Do you know who funds it? HAALAND: I do not. HAWLEY: It’s funded in large part by a foreign billionaire, Hansjörg Wyss, who has routed his money through all manner of dark money groups, including the Arabella Network. Hansjörg Wyss was investigated by the FEC for illegal campaign contributions because he’s not a U.S. citizen. He sits on the governing council of this dark money environmentalist group. HAs anybody in leadership at your department met with them, the Wilderness Society?” [RealClearPolitics, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

Josh Hawley Calls Out Biden Official Who ‘Doesn’t Know Who’s In Charge’ Of Her Own Department — “Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called out a Biden official who ‘doesn’t know who’s in charge’ of her own department Thursday during a Senate Energy and National Resources Committee hearing. Hawley pressed Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland over her department’s alleged meetings with ‘dark money groups’ as Haaland repeatedly refused to take ownership of her role as leader of her department. ‘Is it common practice at your department to meet with dark money groups off the books and conceal it from the public?’ Hawley asked. ‘Senator, thank you for the question, and of course, I can’t answer to, uh, if you’re referring to our former deputy secretary. He’s no longer at the department,’ Haaland replied. ‘Who worked for you,’ Hawley shot back. Haaland deferred to President Joe Biden after throwing her former deputy secretary under the bus. When pressed further by Hawley, she attempted to dodge accountability by stating that her department works ‘as a team.’” [The Daily Caller, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

“Are You The Secretary?”: Josh Hawley Makes A Fool Of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — “Senator Josh Hawley had some important questions for Interior Secretary Deb Haaland after she said she couldn’t speak to the actions of those under her leadership in the department.” [Townhall, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Has No Idea If ‘Trash On The Federal Lands Along The Border’ Is An Issue Because She’s Never Been There — “Deb Haaland, secretary for the Department of the Interior, has never been to the southern border, but that doesn’t mean she’s not qualified to make serious political decisions affecting this nation and its people—because, like (previously) never-been-to-the-border-either-border-czar Kamala Harris, Haaland’s been hired by Joe Biden. During a congressional hearing yesterday, Wisconsin Republican Tom Tiffany asked Haaland if ‘trash on the federal lands along the border’ was an issue, but like all bureaucrats, she’s completely ignorant, replying, ‘Congressman, I have not been to the border, so I couldn’t tell you that.’ Okay, so we’ve got another clueless bureaucrat on our hands (what’s new?), so allow me to help her out, and I say this with as much emphasis as humanly possible: Migrants and their littering/polluting/careless/inconsiderate attitudes are a colossal problem.” [American Thinker, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

‘I Don’t Have A Number’: Biden Interior Sec Left Tongue-Tied When Asked To Name Supporters Of Major Wind Project — “Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland struggled to answer basic questions about a major wind farm development in Idaho during a Thursday hearing on Capitol Hill. Republican Idaho Sen. Jim Risch asked Haaland to list the names of people or groups that support the Lava Ridge wind farm development, a major wind project in the southern, central part of the state. Haaland suggested that there is local support for the project, but she did not name a single entity or individual supporting the project in response to multiple inquiries from Risch. Risch has previously grilled Haaland about the major project, which he claims has little support from Idaho’s population. The project has drawn opposition from a range of interests, including ranchers, some local governments and those concerned about the Minidoka National Historic Site, a memorial to Japanese-Americans detained in internment camps during World War II, according to The Associated Press.” [The Daily Caller, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

Big Oil Spent Decades Sowing Doubt About Fossil Fuel Dangers, Experts Testify — “The fossil fuel industry spent decades sowing doubt about the dangers of burning oil and gas, experts and Democratic lawmakers testified on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The Senate budget committee held a hearing to review a report published on Tuesday with the House oversight and accountability committee that they said demonstrates the sector’s shift from explicit climate denial to a more sophisticated strategy of ‘deception, disinformation and doublespeak’. ‘Big oil had to evolve from denial to duplicity,’ said Sheldon Whitehouse, the Rhode Island Democrat, who chairs the Senate committee. The revelations, based on hundreds of newly subpoenaed documents, illustrate how oil companies worked to greenwash their image while fighting climate policy behind the scenes.” [The Guardian, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

US House Democrats Accuse Big Oil Of Climate Change ‘Denial And Doublespeak’ — “The world’s largest oil groups were accused of ‘denial, disinformation and doublespeak’ at a US Congressional hearing, after an investigation showed they had privately acknowledged for decades that burning fossil fuels causes climate change. The findings followed a three-year probe that unearthed internal documents from the major energy companies with evidence of concerted campaigns ‘to confuse and mislead the public while working unceasingly to lock down a fossil fuel future’, said Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight committee in the report. The probe was conducted by Democrats on the House Oversight and Senate Budget committees. Raskin on Wednesday said: ‘Big Oil’s denial, disinformation, and doublespeak — all in service of their campaign to deceive the public about the enormous climate crisis we are in and the role that Big Oil has played in bringing it about.’” [Financial Times, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

New Documents Show Oil Executives Promoted Natural Gas As Green — But Knew It Wasn’t — “A congressional hearing on the fossil fuel industry’s ‘evolving efforts to avoid accountability for climate change’ turned into a spectacle on Wednesday morning as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., grilled a panel of experts on wide-ranging — and often irrelevant — topics. The thousands of internal oil company documents released before the hearing, however, contained some bombshell findings. One of the biggest revelations is that BP executives understood that natural gas, which the company promoted as a ‘bridge’ or ‘destination’ fuel to a cleaner future as coal declined, was incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement signed in 2015. ‘[O]nce built, gas locks in future emissions above a level consistent with 2 degrees,’ at least without widespread carbon capture technology, according to a comment on a draft outline for a speech by BP’s CEO in 2017.” [Grist, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

Bipartisan Lawmakers Float New Drought Bills — “A bipartisan trio of Western lawmakers are seeking to reauthorize major water programs aimed at helping states address more than two decades of persistent drought. Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cynthis Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced two bills Thursday to support new water infrastructure, prepare drought contingency plans and improve water monitoring. ‘Long-term aridification is threatening our way of life in the West,’ Hickenlooper said in a statement. ‘Extending existing, proven water programs will let us spend more time measuring and saving our water and less time reinventing the wheel.’ The bills include the ‘Drought Preparedness Act,’ which would renew the authorization of the Reclamation State Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991. The law, which had expired in 2022, would be extended through 2028. That 1991 law allows the Interior Department, which includes the Bureau of Reclamation, to take emergency actions to respond to drought conditions, including constructing facilities, assisting in the purchase or sale of water, and moving and storing water.” [E&E News, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bills To Extend Drought Relief, Water Monitoring Programs — “Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., have introduced two bipartisan bills that would extend existing programs to continue important water management programs and address long-term drought in the West. The Drought Preparedness Act and the Water Data Improvement Act would reauthorize current programs managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey to help secure water infrastructure, prepare drought contingency plans, and improve water monitoring. ‘Time and time again, Oregon and the entire West have been hit hard by extreme drought,’ Wyden said. ‘It’s not only critical that communities are better prepared to respond to droughts, but also that more is being done to prevent drought as best we can. These bills will make sure communities nationwide have water readily available to them so that their livelihoods are not diminished during and after a drought.’” [KTVZ-TV, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

House

 

Grijalva Warns Westerman On Stalled Mining Bill — “House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva wants the committee to revisit contentious mining legislation that stalled on the floor this week. H.R. 2925, the ‘Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,’ from Reps. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), would make clear mining companies can store waste on land that doesn’t have economically recoverable minerals. A 2019 court ruling raised alarm among U.S. mining leaders and their allies on Capitol Hill. The bill was poised for passage Wednesday, but a handful of Republicans, upset with their leadership, voted with Democrats to send it back to committee. Now Grijalva wants a new hearing and markup, according to a letter released Thursday. ‘Sending a bill back to committee in this manner is a historic step not seen in more than 32 years,’ wrote Grijalva. ‘Now that the bill is back in our committee, I would have hoped this would finally be the end of the road for this toxic mining free-for-all mess of a bill.’” [E&E News, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

U.S. House Votes To Kill BLM Rule, Delist Gray Wolf, End Boundary Waters Mining Limits — “The U.S. House approved four bills focused on natural resources and land management Tuesday, promoting a Republican message of dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s approach to conservation. The four bills would force the withdrawal of a recent Bureau of Land Management rule that would allow leases for conservation, remove mining restrictions near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act and block federal bans on lead ammunition. The bills passed with few members of each party crossing the aisle. They are unlikely to become law — or even receive a vote in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate — but their passage is an election-year message that Republicans support extractive industries in rural communities and oppose what they describe as an overreaching environmental agenda. ‘Whether it’s the new BLM rule that fundamentally threatens the western way of life, or the decision to lock up enormous deposits of increasingly scarce minerals, it’s clear Biden and his bureaucrats have no interest in properly stewarding our federal lands or listening to local stakeholders,’ House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement following the votes.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Skip Day: Peltola Ditches House Resources Budget Hearing After Not Defending Alaska Or Holding Interior Sec. Deb Haaland Accountable — “One day after Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola acted against energy development on the North Slope, Peltola skipped out on a House Resources Committee budget hearing featuring Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, who is responsible for executing so much of the Biden Administration war on Alaska. Although she made a brief appearance, Peltola asked no questions of Haaland, and slipped out shortly after arriving. It appears that most of the Democrats on the committee staged a coordinated walk out, Peltola among them. Over in the Senate, there was a similar hearing with Haaland. There, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who endorsed Peltola in 2022, criticized Haaland and President Joe Biden for locking up Alaska. ‘Our environmental record is second to none. We’ll put it up against anyone out there. But now it’s effectively being held against us because Interior’s decisions are punishing us for decades of responsible development,’ Murkowski said. ‘The Department needs to follow the law. They need to follow the law, they need to consult with all Alaska Natives – all Alaska Natives – and frankly, I think clean house at the BLM.’” [Must Read Alaska, 5/2/24 (-)]

 

 

 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

 

Republican Senators Press Stone-Manning On BLM’s Solar Focus — “A coalition of Western Republican senators wants the Bureau of Land Management to tap the breaks on a proposed solar development plan that would open 22 million acres for potential commercial-scale projects. Led by Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), a group of six senators sent a letter Thursday to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning warning that the agency’s ongoing efforts to expand solar power ‘cannot be done at the complete expense of pre-existing multiple uses,’ such as livestock grazing. The target of the senators’ angst is a proposed update to BLM’s ‘Western Solar Plan’ that would designate 22 million acres of federal lands in 11 states as suitable for commercial-scale solar development, and open for project applications that would go through streamlined permitting. The goal is to lead developers to build projects on lands with high solar-power potential and low natural resource conflicts. ‘Due to the configuration and containment of solar infrastructure, solar projects must be carefully scoped so as not to interfere with other established multiple uses,’ they write. ‘It is critical to consider the opportunity cost of restricting land to an exclusive, singular use.’” [E&E News, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

 

Gulf Oil And Gas Leasing Likely To Be Delayed Until 2026 — “An offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico scheduled for next year appears headed for delay. Acting Interior Deputy Secretary Laura Daniels-Davis said at a Senate hearing Thursday that the department had only just begun the work of preparing for the 2025 lease sale, a task that would likely take ‘at least 18 months.’ ‘That puts us almost into 2026,’ said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. ‘It looks like we might miss a lease sale in 2024 and 2025.’ The Biden administration finalized a five-year offshore drilling plan last year that called for only three lease sales for the Gulf of Mexico, in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The lack of a lease sale this year meant the country would go an entire year without holding an offshore lease sale for the first time in five decades, Cassidy said.” [Houston Chronicle, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Fossil Energy

 

Exxon Bombshell Stokes Oil Industry Scrutiny — “The Federal Trade Commission alleged Thursday that a former oil executive colluded with OPEC to keep oil and gasoline prices high, adding fuel to growing scrutiny of the fossil fuel industry’s practices in the courts and on Capitol Hill. Scott Sheffield, founder and former CEO of Texas-based Pioneer Natural Resources, repeated private conversations with high-ranking OPEC representatives and exchanged hundreds of text messages with the cartel ‘assuring them that Pioneer and its Permian Basin rivals were working hard to keep oil output artificially low,’ according to the FTC. The agency still green-lighted Exxon Mobil’s $59.5 billion merger with Pioneer Natural Resources under the condition Sheffield won’t serve on Exxon’s board or in an advisory capacity. ‘Mr. Sheffield’s past conduct makes it crystal clear that he should be nowhere near Exxon’s boardroom. American consumers shouldn’t pay unfair prices at the pump simply to pad a corporate executive’s pocketbook,’ said Kyle Mach, deputy director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. ‘The FTC will remain vigilant in its enforcement efforts to protect competition in these vital markets.’” [E&E News, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

AP | FTC Bars Former Pioneer CEO In Exxon Mobil Deal, Saying He Colluded With OPEC — “Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion deal to buy Pioneer Natural Resources on Thursday received clearance from the Federal Trade Commission, but the former CEO of Pioneer was barred from joining the new company’s board of directors. The FTC said Thursday that Scott Sheffield, who founded Pioneer in 1997, colluded with OPEC and OPEC+ to potentially raise crude oil prices. Sheffield retired from the company in 2016, but he returned as president and CEO in 2019, served as CEO from 2021 to 2023, and continues to serve on the board. Since Jan. 1, he has served as special adviser to the company’s chief executive. ‘Through public statements, text messages, in-person meetings, WhatsApp conversations and other communications while at Pioneer, Sheffield sought to align oil production across the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico with OPEC+,’ according to the FTC. It proposed a consent order that Exxon won’t appoint any Pioneer employee, with a few exceptions, to its board. Dallas-based Pioneer said in a statement it disagreed with the allegations but would not impede closing of the merger, which was announced in October 2023.” [NPR, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Exxon Mobil Reaches Agreement With FTC, Poised To Close $60 Billion Pioneer Deal — “KEY POINTS Regulators and Exxon reached an agreement that will bar Pioneer’s former CEO Scott Sheffield from joining the Exxon board. Exxon first announced the deal for Pioneer in October, in an all-stock transaction valued at $59.5 billion. Exxon said the acquisition would more than double its production in the Permian Basin.” [CNBC, 5/1/24 (=)]

 

Oil Companies Expand Offshore Drilling, Pointing To Energy Needs — “About 80 miles southeast of Louisiana’s coast, 100,000 metric tons of steel floats in the Gulf of Mexico, an emblem of the hopes of oil and gas companies. This hulk of metal, a deepwater platform called Appomattox and owned by Shell, collects the oil and gas that rigs tap from reservoirs thousands of feet below the seafloor. Equipment on the platform pipes that fuel to shore. Political and corporate leaders have pledged to reduce planet-warming emissions to net-zero by 2050. But oil companies like Shell are betting that the world will need oil and gas for decades to come. To serve that demand, they are expanding offshore oil and gas drilling into deeper and deeper waters, especially here in the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore production, oil executives argue, is not only crucial to power cars, trucks and power plants but also better for the planet than drilling on land. That’s because such operations emit far less of the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet than producing the same amount of oil and gas on land, according to industry estimates.” [The New York Times, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

U.S. Oil And Gas Production Is Booming. So Are The Industry’s Donations To Its GOP Allies — “Biden has angered the industry with his ambitious climate agenda and many Democrats have pushed for renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, in order to speed the transition to a clean energy future and erode industry profits. In contrast, Trump has supported lifting many regulations on oil, gas and coal companies, and Republicans have generally supported policies that help the industry. That split is starkly reflected in the industry’s campaign contributions — oil and gas companies are contributing more than seven times as much money to Republican candidates and conservative groups as to Democrats and liberal groups, according to Open Secrets. In the 2024 election cycle, the sector has contributed more than $25 million to the GOP and conservative groups compared to $3.6 million to Democrats as of April 16. At that pace, the split in donations will be even wider than it was during the competitive 2020 elections. At some oil giants, the divide is even more stark. Koch Industries, the Kansas-based conglomerate, has contributed $1.3 million to Republicans and only $710 to Democrats so far in 2024. Of the top 20 contributors from the sector, only Wyoming-based oil producer Samson Energy has given more to Democrats than to Republicans.” [Capital & Main, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Oil Giant Shell Beats First-Quarter Profit Estimates, Launches $3.5 Billion Share Buyback — “KEY POINTS Shell reported adjusted earnings of $7.7 billion for the first three months of the year, beating analyst expectations of $6.5 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus. Shell CEO Wael Sawan described the results as ‘another quarter of strong operational and financial performance.’ Shell announced a $3.5 billion share buyback program, which it expects to complete over the next three months. Its dividend remains unchanged.” [CNBC, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

Utilities

 

Warren Buffett's PacifiCorp Utility Singed By Wildfires — “Two years ago, Warren Buffett branded Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N), opens new tab energy business one of his conglomerate’s four ‘giants.’ Now he fears its business model may be broken. Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s PacifiCorp unit faces billions of dollars in potential liabilities from wildfires that have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in southern Oregon and northern California. Costs could rise as more fires break out, and from efforts to prevent them. Climate change, reflected in drier and hotter weather and more combustible vegetation, adds to the risks. ‘I did not anticipate or even consider the adverse developments in regulatory returns,’ Buffett wrote in his annual shareholder letter, opens new tab in February. ‘I made a costly mistake in not doing so.’ What remains unclear is the extent PacifiCorp’s problems drag on the conglomerate’s overall results, with Berkshire’s deep balance sheet and dozens of other operations being unable to totally counteract.” [Reuters, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

 

 

A Billionaire Wanted To Save 1 Trillion Trees By 2030. It’s Not Going Great. — “Rallying top decision makers to do more to halt climate change is sorely needed as the world keeps warming. But four years (and one global pandemic) later, the total number of trees pledged to 1t.org to date amounts to less than 15% of 1 trillion. And with flexible rules on who can pledge what, and little accountability to ensure follow-through, it’s impossible to know how many trees the project has actually planted or saved so far: By the partial count of WEF and American Forests, which co-runs 1t.org’s US Chapter, the number is as much as 2.6 billion trees — more than 997 billion short of the goal. Jad Daley, president and chief executive officer of American Forests, said he expects to report ‘many billions more’ by the end of the year. Bloomberg Green found that more than a fifth of the 85 companies’ pledges make use of the carbon offset market. Companies buy credits on the market to cancel out, or offset, their own climate emissions. Numerous offset-generating projects have promised climate benefits that crumbled upon scrutiny. Although proponents of offsets say they are the only viable way for some companies to hit net zero, many experts say they should not be used to cancel out emissions that can be reduced other ways.” [Bloomberg, 5/3/24 (~)]

 

 

 

California

 

Oil And Gas Industry Topped First-Quarter Lobbying Spending In California — “Chevron and the Western States Petroleum Association were California’s top two lobbyist spenders for the first quarter of the year, according to new data posted to the California secretary of state’s Cal-Access website. The two organizations spent a combined $5.5 million trying to influence legislators and policymakers on a host of issues ranging from oil production to idle wells to refiner profits. They beat out the California Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Gas and Electric and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association for the leading spots among the top five. The oil and gas organizations maintained their dominant spending positions as California accelerates its efforts to wean itself off fossil fuels while also trying to avoid gasoline price spikes. The oil and gas industry has long influenced policy in Sacramento, where it has often warned lawmakers that tighter restrictions on extraction and production would drive up gas prices. Chevron and WSPA were also the top spenders last year and for the two years of the prior legislative session.” [E&E News, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

Florida

 

Florida Sees Thriving Future If Climate Resilience Managed, Research Finds — “Climate predictions in Florida, for the most part, make pretty grim reading. Rising oceans threaten to submerge most of the state by the end of the century, and soaring temperatures could make it too hot to live here anyway. But new research by a coalition of prominent universities paints a more upbeat picture of Florida’s future as a thriving state for humans and wildlife, with natural resources harnessed to mitigate the worst effects of the climate emergency generally, as well as extreme weather events such as hurricanes and floods. Such a prosperous tomorrow, the authors say, can only follow essential preparatory work today. One key element, an 18m-acre swath of protected land called the Florida wildlife corridor, is already mostly in place, and will spearhead Florida’s climate resilience if properly managed and allowed to evolve, the researchers believe.” [The Guardian, 5/3/24 (+)]

 

Virginia

 

Homeowner Concerned After Neighbor Finds Muddy Water On Property — “Robin Austin was watching over her friend Kathy Chandler’s property on Bent Mountain Wednesday, when she noticed something looked a little different with the streams on her land. The water that is usually clear looked very murky. ‘A huge problem with the stream being very heavily sediment and running really strong with bad water,’ said Austin. At the time Robin observed the muddy water, Mountain Valley Pipeline operators were conducting hydrotesting, which is a pressure test, filling the pipe with water. An MVP spokesperson told WDB7 a water release occurred during the hydrotesting, and nearby streams were dissipated and temporarily affected, but have returned to normal. This break in the pipeline has landowners like Kathy concerned for what’s to come when the natural gas starts to run through it. ‘This is the end result, you have corrosion, and this breach was with water, but Heaven forbid it would happen with gas,’ she said.” [WDBJ-TV, 5/2/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Western Water

 

How A ‘Death Trap’ For Fish In California’s Water System Is Limiting The Pumping Of Supplies — “Giant pumps hum inside a warehouse-like building, pushing water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta into the California Aqueduct, where it travels more than 400 miles south to the taps of over half the state’s population. But lately the powerful motors at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant have been running at reduced capacity, despite a second year of drought-busting snow and rain. The reason: So many threatened fish have died at the plant’s intake reservoir and pumps that it has triggered federal protections and forced the state to pump less water. The spike in fish deaths has angered environmentalists and fishing advocates, who argue the state draws too much water from the delta while failing to safeguard fish. Conversely, the reduced pumping has vexed Central Valley growers and water districts, who have complained that they need more water from the estuary and that deliveries are being unduly limited by regulatory constraints and outdated infrastructure.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

As Dismantling Of Largest Dam Begins On Klamath River, Activists See ‘New Beginning’ — “Workers have begun dismantling the largest dam on the Klamath River, using machinery to scoop the first loads of rocks from an earthen barrier that has stood near the California-Oregon border for more than six decades. Several Indigenous leaders and activists watched as a single earthmover tore into the top of Iron Gate Dam, starting a pivotal phase in the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. As they celebrated the long-awaited moment, they shouted, embraced and offered prayers. They said they hope to see the river’s salmon, which have suffered devastating declines, finally start to recover once Iron Gate and two other dams are fully removed later this year. ‘It’s a new beginning — for not only fish, but for people as well,’ said Leaf Hillman, an elder and ceremonial leader of the Karuk Tribe who attended the groundbreaking on Wednesday.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/2/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Deer Are Expanding North. That Could Hurt Some Species Like Boreal Caribou — “White-tailed deer have expanded their range in North America over many decades. Since the early-2000s, these deer have moved north into the boreal forests of western Canada. These forests are full of spruce and pine trees, sandy soil and freezing winters with lots of snow. They’re basically your typical winter wonderland in theory — but actually living there can be harsh. Ecologists haven’t known whether a warmer climate in these forests is drawing deer north, or whether human land development might play a bigger role. ‘Human land use and climate change are both leading causes of biodiversity loss. But more often than not, those two things are highly intertwined, and it’s really tricky to tell which one is the root cause — or if it’s both,’ Melanie Dickie, a wildlife biologist at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan says. ‘We really need to know which one it is so we can have a better idea of what to do about it.” [NPR, 5/3/24 (=)]

 

 

 

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