November, in brief
Key news from November:
- President Joe Biden signed a proclamation designating November as National Native American Heritage Month. The proclamation recognizes “the invaluable contributions of Native peoples that have shaped our country,” while also acknowledging that “Native peoples’ cultures, identities, and governments were not always seen as a part of this Nation but as a threat to it,” and that “Native people were pressured to assimilate, banned from practicing their traditions and sacred ceremonies, and forced from their homes and ancestral homelands.” The proclamation also notes the historic investments made in Indian Country by the Biden administration, as well as the appointment of Native Americans to high-level positions in the federal government, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.
- The Biden administration announced the advancement of 15 large renewable energy projects on public lands in the West. The projects include a geothermal lease sale across 12 counties in northern Nevada, a new transmission line west of Phoenix, the completed construction of more than 800 megawatts of solar power in southern California, progress on environmental reviews for seven solar projects proposed in Nevada, and a solar and battery storage project in Arizona. With these additions, the Biden administration has approved a total of 46 clean energy projects on BLM lands since 2021. If these projects are completed, they have the potential to achieve the Biden administration’s goal to generate 25 gigawatts of onshore renewables on public lands by 2025. This would be enough to power approximately five million homes and would be a significant step toward the administration’s broader objective of establishing a fully renewable energy grid by 2035.
- In Wyoming, public meetings were held to discuss a proposal to auction off a parcel of land within Grand Teton National Park to the highest bidder. The “Kelly parcel” is a 640-acre piece of Wyoming state trust land that is bordered on three sides by Grand Teton National Park, and on the fourth side by the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments is under pressure to sell the parcel to generate revenue for schools after the parcel was appraised at over $62 million in 2022. However, given the unique location of the parcel and its importance to the “Path of the Pronghorn” migration route, the proposal to auction the parcel off to the highest bidder has quickly become controversial and unpopular. Written comments are being accepted through December 1st. A decision will be made by the State Board of Land Commissioners when it meets on December 7.
- A congressionally-mandated federal climate report delivered a predictable message: the U.S. must rapidly reduce emissions or face even more dire consequences to human health, infrastructure, and the economy. The latest National Climate Assessment includes a comprehensive look at U.S. climate science, impacts, and action. More than 750 experts across a number of federal agencies evaluated thousands of academic studies and other reports to compile the report, which is the fifth installment since the law requiring it passed in 1990. The report found that global warming caused by human activities — primarily the burning of oil, gas, and coal — is raising average temperatures in the United States faster than it is across the rest of the planet. In coordination with the release of the report, President Biden announced more than $6 billion in investments to strengthen America’s aging electric grid infrastructure, reduce flood risk to communities, support conservation efforts, and advance environmental justice.
- The Bureau of Land Management’s congressionally chartered nonprofit partner, the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, released a report with recommendations for how the agency can improve recreation experiences on BLM-managed public land. The report is the result of listening sessions with stakeholders, including more than 120 organizations that represent interests including off-roading, hunting and fishing, conservation, and local, state, and Native American Tribal governments. One of the report’s main recommendations is that the agency strengthen its commitment to partnerships, including by establishing a BLM National Partnership Office, in order to help balance resource protection with recreational access for a growing numbers of visitors.
What to watch for in December:
- The comment period for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Rule closes December 7.
- The 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit will take place December 6–7 in Washington, D.C.
- On December 12, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) committee will consider two mining bills, CEMRA and the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act.
- Will the Senate ENR committee reschedule its business meeting to consider languishing public lands bills?
- Will President Biden designate another new national monument?
- Will the BLM release a final draft of the Public Lands Rule?
Geothermal is heating up in the West
Here’s what you need to know about geothermal energy development and potential in Western states
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has pumped over $4 billion into the Mountain West in just two years
Investments have gone toward wildfire preparedness and prevention, sagebrush-steppe recovery and conservation, abandoned oil and gas well plugging and remediation, wildlife habitat and fish passage improvements, climate change adaptation, and more
Geothermal leasing on public lands
Here’s what you need to know to follow upcoming geothermal lease sales in Nevada and other Western states
Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument is a win for conservation and renewable development
The monument proposal aims to establish permanent protections for an important California desert ecosystem, and it would do so without impeding renewable energy development
Aaron and Kate are joined by Julia Stuble, Wyoming State Senior Manager with the Wilderness Society. Julia is a Wyomingite who’s lived and worked in the state for decades. She’s here to talk about a proposed Bureau of Land Management resource management plan, or RMP, for southwest Wyoming that’s making waves in the state. The draft Rock Springs RMP prioritizes conservation in some areas by closing them to new oil and gas leasing, but those areas aren’t of much interest to oil and gas companies anyway. So why is the state making such a ruckus about it? Julia has the answers.
Aaron and Kate are joined by Laura Peterson, staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, to talk about the Bureau of Land Management’s recently finalized Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan. The plan will guide land management decisions for a 300,000-acre landscape to the north of Moab for years to come, and will help protect cultural sites, riparian habitat, and the experience of non-motorized recreationists while allowing for motorized recreation on more than 800 miles of dirt trails and routes.
Best Reads of the Month
Dozens of bird names honoring racist individuals are about to change
Opinion: The BLM was right to close vehicle trails around Labyrinth Canyon
The 20 farming families who use more water from the Colorado River than some Western states
America’s new wildfire risk goes beyond forests
Mark Udall: Recreation is the future of wilderness conservation
How Biden can protect the Arctic in the wake of Willow
Analysis: Dolores River country rich in biodiverse but unprotected lands
Coalition urges Haaland to move forward with protections for Greater Chaco region
The deadly legacy of the U.S. uranium mining boom
Outdoor recreation economy tops $1.1 trillion, fueling efforts for legislative support of industry
Quote of the month
“Conservation has always been about people, even when the people were not visible. Environmental movements might have better protected nature if they had long sought to conserve cultures and communities along with land. Earning the trust now of people who have inherited wisdom for living in balance with nature will give conservation a fighting chance on a warming planet. It might also offer a reprieve from focusing on the dire future to reach for solutions that lie deep in the past.”
— Bina Venkataraman, Washington Post columnist
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When winter comes around, it brings the opportunity to experience public lands in a whole new way. But colder temperatures can present its own set of risks and can make your trip challenging if you are unprepared.
Photo by Bill Hayden / NPS
