The Landscape Podcast Archives - Center for Western Priorities: Recent Episodes
Center for Western Priorities
Kate and Aaron talk to Chris Clarke, host of the 90 Miles from Needles podcast, about the Cadiz pipeline project, a water mining project that poses a huge threat to the Mojave Desert. This project has been around in some form or another for over four decades and the latest iteration is especially insidious.
News* Stopping Cadiz is good for people, the environment and our water future – Desert Sun
Biden administration finalizes Rock Springs Plan without further changes – WyoFile
* BLM nixes Trump-era highway in Utah tortoise preserve – E&E News
* Interior Department Finalizes Framework for Future of Solar Development on Public Lands – Interior Department
Resources* Protect Chuckwalla National Monument * Protect Medicine Lake Highlands (Sáttítla) * Protect the Owyhee * Protect Caja del Rio * Protect the Dolores * Episode transcript
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Cadiz Dunes, Mojave Trails National Monument; Source: Bob Wick/BLM
The post This company is trying to drain an aquifer in the Mojave Desert appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
In this special episode of The Landscape, Kate visits the Dolores River Canyon Country in southwest Colorado, along with CWP’s Lauren Bogard and Sterling Homard, to meet with folks who support protecting this special region. The Dolores River’s riparian zone contains the largest and most biodiverse stretch of unprotected public lands in Colorado. Advocates are currently working to protect this area through a national monument proposal and legislation to establish a national conservation area. Come with us on this audio journey to learn more about the future of the Dolores River Canyons.
News* Colorado lawmakers work to protect Dolores River Canyon by end of year – Durango Herald
Resources* Learn more about the national monument proposal * Sign the national monument petition * Join the Dolores River Boating Advocates * Meet the National Monuments Disinformation Brigade * Transcript
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Dolores Canyon Overlook; Source: BLM Colorado/Flickr
The post Special episode: Inside the Dolores River Canyons appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by CWP Executive Director, Jennifer Rokala, and Curtis Hubbard, a political consultant based in Colorado, to break down the what the results of the 2024 election mean for public lands.
News* With Ready Orders and an Energy Czar, Trump Plots Pivot to Fossil Fuels – New York Times * Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’ – Associated Press
Resources* Project 2025 would devastate America’s public lands – Center for Western Priorities * Opinion: Public land defenders are ready for a fight – Writers on the Range * Episode transcript
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Canyon Rims Recreation Site; Source: Bob Wick/BLM
The post What the results of the election mean for public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron talk to Sanjay Narayan, managing attorney of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, about a lawsuit over the proposed Uinta Basin oil train that could have some major implications for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The case is set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December.
News* With Ready Orders and an Energy Czar, Trump Plots Pivot to Fossil Fuels – New York Times * BLM revives long-dormant wilderness protection policy – E&E News
Resources* Supreme Court Takes Up Case Challenging Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway * Follow us on Bluesky * Episode transcript
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Oil and Gas fracking sand facility in Uintah County, Utah; arbyreed/Flickr
The post Choo! Choo! NEPA heads to the Supreme Court disguised as an oil train appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage, a project of the Earth Island Institute. Dr. DellaSala came on The Landscape twice last year to talk about the Biden administration’s plans to protect mature and old growth forests. He recently wrote an op-ed for the Seattle Times in which he says the Forest Service’s is still planning to allow logging in mature and old growth forests. We talk about why that’s the case, how the Old Growth Amendment process plays into this, and what the Biden administration can do about it, then discuss recent headlines about wildlife connectivity in forests and carbon sink failure.
News* Biden delivers “long overdue” apology in Arizona for Indian boarding school atrocities – CBS * White House must redirect the Forest Service to preserve old forests – Seattle Times * USDA Announces Department-wide Effort to Support Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity – USDA * Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year. Is nature’s carbon sink failing? – The Guardian * Group puts up fence, claims ownership over 1,400 acres of Colorado forest, sparking outrage – Colorado Sun
Resources* Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System – U.S. Forest Service
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Old growth forest, Oswald West State Park, Oregon; USFWS/Flickr
The post What Biden can do for America’s forests before he leaves office appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers CEO Patrick Berry to talk about why Utah’s lawsuit seeking control of over 18 million acres of national public land in the state would be terrible for sportsmen across the West.
News* Other states urge Supreme Court to hear Utah federal land case – E&E News * ‘A beautiful thing’: Klamath River salmon are spotted far upstream in Oregon after dam removal – Los Angeles Times * Opinion: Risking Utah’s hunting heritage: Where’s the truth in Utah’s land transfer plans? – Deseret News
Resources* Utah is not for sale – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers * Sign the petition against Utah’s land grab lawsuit
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Bull elk, Blacktail Deer Plateau; Source: NPS/Flickr
The post How Utah’s land grab lawsuit could harm hunting in the West appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and guest host Sterling are joined by journalist and producer Marissa Ortega-Welch to talk about her new podcast series, How Wild, which was recently released by KALW and distributed by NPR. The podcast explores how the concept of capital W wilderness is changing due to climate change, technology, crowding, and shifting views on colonialism.
News* Leaked recordings detail a major environmental agency quietly gutting its workforce – Vox * New Federal Rules Aim to End Tax Confusion for Tribally Owned Businesses, Boost Clean Energy Projects – Native News Online
Resources* How Wild podcast
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Eagles Nest Wilderness Area, near Vail; Source: PDTillman/Wikimedia Commons
The post How climate, crowds, and colonialism are complicating the concept of Wilderness appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by members of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe to talk about the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument in southern California.
This is part of our Road to 30 postcards series, in which we highlight local efforts to protect iconic landscapes around the country. A Tribal elder, a Tribal youth, and one of the leaders of the monument proposal talk about why it’s important to protect this desert region as part of a broader cultural landscape that connects Avi Kwa Ame National Monument and the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.
News* Two oil and gas companies orphaned a record number of wells in Colorado last year, records show – CPR News
Resources* Sign the petition and learn more about the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Courtesy of Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe/Bob Wick
The post Meet the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument—a 390,000 acre landscape in the California desert appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron talk to Inside Climate News reporter Wyatt Myskow about an incredible story he wrote about what’s unfolding in Nevada’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, where the endangered Devil’s Hole pupfish is undergoing a rebrand from villain to hero.
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
News* The National Monuments Disinformation Brigade – Center for Western Priorities * Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary – NOAA
Resources* As a Nevada Community Fights a Lithium Mine, a Rare Fish and Its Haven Could Be an Ace in the Hole – Inside Climate News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Crystal Spring, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, southern Nevada; Source: Wikimedia Commons/Stan Shebs
The post From villain to hero: the Devil’s Hole pupfish could save this desert community appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
In this episode of the Landscape, Kate and Aaron discuss Utah’s attempt to sue the federal government for control of over 18 million acres of federal public land with John Leshy, Professor Emeritus, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Leshy served as Solicitor (General Counsel) of the U.S. Department of the Interior throughout the Clinton administration and served in the Interior department in the Carter administration. Leshy discusses the underpinnings of Utah’s legal argument and explains why it’s likely to fail in court, if the U.S. Supreme Court even takes it up, which he says is also unlikely.
Click here for a transcript of the episode.
News* Utah lawsuit seeks state control over vast areas of federal land – Associated Press * Bureau Of Land Management Announces Protection Of D-1 Alaska Public Lands – Alaska Sporting Journal
Resources* Are U.S. Public Lands Unconstitutional? – John Leshy
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Red Fleet Trails in Utah; Source: BLM Utah/Flickr
The post How nuts is Utah’s land grab lawsuit? We ask law professor John Leshy appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
For the 200th episode of The Landscape, we brought the whole Center for Western Priorities team together to talk about what brought us each into conservation work, and recount some of the most memorable moments we’ve had as public lands advocates.
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
News* Utah lawsuit seeks state control over vast areas of federal land.- Associated Press
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: The CWP team, left to right: Jen Rokala, Rachael Hamby, Lauren Bogard, Lilly Bock-Brownstein (with Wren), Sterling Homard, Aaron Weiss, Kate Groetzinger
The post Episode 200! (Behind the scenes at CWP) appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate talks to author Zak Podmore about his upcoming book, Life After Deadpool: Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River, which explores various aspects of Lake Powell’s emptying due to drought, from how to replace the loss of hydropower to how wildlife and plant life is returning to Glen Canyon as the lake recedes.
News* US energy reform bill a ‘wishlist for the fossil industry’, say environmental groups – The Guardian * In long-sought change, states must consider tribal rights when crafting water rules – Source NM
Resources Pre-order Life After Deadpool Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River* – Torrey House Press
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam; James Marvin Phelps/Flickr
The post The future of Lake Powell with Zak Podmore appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron talk to Syren Nagakyrie, founder and director of Disabled Hikers, a nonprofit group seeking to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities. Nagakyrie has been outspoken about the tokenization of disabled hikers by U.S. Senator Mike Lee, who recently filed a bill called the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act that encourages road building on public lands. Nagakyrie called the bill “a blatant attempt to scapegoat disability as an excuse to build more roads.” According to Nagakyrie, what disabled people really need to access the outdoors is good information and well-maintained trails.
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
News* Senators release statement on protections for Dolores River – San Miguel Basin Forum * Plans to build more roads on public lands will help disabled Americans, Mike Lee says. Disabled hikers disagree – Salt Lake Tribune * 50-year fight in Crested Butte ends as land swap forever blocks mining on Red Lady – Colorado Sun
Resources* Disabled Hikers Trail Guides – Disabled Hikers * Spoon Trail Rating System – Disabled Hikers
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Disabled Hikers founder Syren Nagakyrie; Credit: Eddie Bauer/Elise Giordano
The post Hitting the trail with Disabled Hikers founder Syren Nagakyrie appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate talk to Dr. Hitesh Tolani, creator of the Gays of National Parks Instagram account, which is aimed at fostering community among LGBTQ people through a love of the outdoors. Hitesh began the account as a joke in 2022, but it has since grown into a community with over 15,000 followers. Hitesh talks about how the group is fostering connection both online and in person, as well as why representation in the outdoors and park leadership matters.
News* The Supreme Court will consider reinstating a critical approval for a rail project in eastern Utah – Associated Press * Contact Gays of National Parks * New state program aims to put 500,000 acres of Montana prairie under conservation leases – Montana Free Press
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Participants in a GONP trip, courtesy of Hitesh Tolani
The post How an Instagram ‘joke’ turned into an outdoor LGBTQ community appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Boise State Public Radio’s Murphy Woodhouse, a reporter with the Mountain West News Bureau collaborative. Murphy covers wildfires and wildfire policy across the West, informed by his past experience as a wildland firefighter. In a wide-ranging discussion, Murphy talks about the bleak state of wildfire pay, the possibility of much of the West becoming uninsurable because of wildfire risk, and much more.
News* Interior Department holds community meeting on Chuckwalla National Monument * Sen. Michael Bennet addresses the misinformation campaign on the Dolores River * Bonus editorial: Dolores monument proposal depends on compromise * White House swears in first class of the American Climate Corps
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: The 2021 Ponina Fire in Oregon, Oregon Department of Forestry
The post Reporter Murphy Woodhouse on the future of wildfire season appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument would add protections for lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management in Luna County, New Mexico near the city of Deming. The collaborative effort is locally-led by elected leaders, business owners, economic development advocates, hunters, youth leaders, conservationists, and students. The proposal would protect approximately 245,000 acres in an area that contains documented cultural and historic sites that continue to hold importance to modern day Tribes and Pueblos, and also provides diverse outdoor recreation opportunities including hunting, hiking, equestrian use, biking, camping, picnicking, photography, and more. According to a recent independent economic analysis, the proposal would bring a much needed boost to the area, broadening access to nature and creating new jobs and revenue through increased visitation.
Hear from a father and son who know and love this region and want to see it protected: Ray Trejo works for New Mexico Wildlife Federation and is currently a Luna County Commissioner. BJ Trejo lives in Deming and is working as an organizer for New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. He is also Ray’s son.
News* DOD, Interagency Partners Designate 5 New Sentinel Landscapes – U.S. Department of Defense * Sign the petition to support the proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument * Proposed national monument would be economic boon for area – Las Cruces Sun News * New Polling Confirms Strong Majority Support for an Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument – Protect the Owyhee * Owyhee Video Postcard – Center for Western Priorities
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Florida Mountains in the proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument
The post Protecting the Mimbres Peaks in Southern New Mexico appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by Kristen Miller, Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League, to talk about some big steps to protect public lands in Alaska made by the Biden administration this spring. They include increased protections for 13 million acres inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, as well as the cancellation of a proposed 200-mile road that would have stretched across part of Alaska called the Ambler Road.
News* The U.S. just took its biggest step yet to end coal mining – Washington Post * The coal industry, running on fumes, likely to shrink more with new EPA power plant rule – USA Today * Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska’s petroleum reserve – Associated Press * Tribes, activists gird for fight over Ambler Road rejection – E&E News * Haaland visits site of proposed Southern California monument – E&E News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post A huge step forward for public lands in Alaska appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by Davina Smith, who represents the Navajo Nation on the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and Lauren Henson, who is the Collaborative Management and Tribal Support Specialist for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, to talk about the Bears Ears draft monument management plan, which came out in March. We talk about how the draft plan came together and how to get involved.
Click here for an automatically-generated transcript.
News* Biden Expands Two National Monuments in California – New York Times * Submit a public comment through the Coalition website – Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition * Submit a comment through the BLM – Bureau of Land Management * Bears Ears draft management plan public hearings – Bureau of Land Management * Democrats seek probe of foreign mining on public lands – E&E News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: brucerinehart/Wikimedia Commons
The post Behind the scenes of the Bears Ears draft management plan appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by the Wilderness Society’s Michael Carroll and Justin Meuse to talk through a handful of federal regulations, or rules, that were finalized in late March and April. These rules touch on everything from methane waste on public lands to ecosystem restoration to caribou herds in Alaska. Some of these rules are already in effect, and some will take effect soon. Together, they are a framework for more responsible and climate-friendly public land management.
Click here for an automatically generated transcript.
News* 5 Early Takeaways From the Biden Administration’s Conservation Atlas – Center for American Progress * The U.S. just changed how it manages a tenth of its land – Washington Post * Biden hikes cost of drilling on federal lands as Trump courts oil donors – Washington Post * Biden administration takes stride on public lands renewable energy with final rule – The Wilderness Society * Biden limits oil drilling across 13 million acres of Alaskan Arctic – Washington Post * BLM announces final methane waste rule – New Mexico Political Report * More solar on public lands? Digging into BLM’s plan – The Landscape * BLM proposes stronger greater sage-grouse conservation plans – Bureau of Land Management
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post Why April was a huge month for public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood, who has been with TU for twenty years, following a career as chief policy director at the U.S. Forest Service during the Clinton administration. Chris talks about how an influx of federal funding for ecosystem restoration is supercharging the group’s work reconnecting streams and rivers, as well as how his group is engaging in legislative mining reform.
Click here to read an automatically generated transcript of the episode.
News* Biden administration bars drilling in Colorado’s Thompson Divide landscape – The Hill * Feds announce final renewable energy rule for public lands – NM Political Report * Oil and gas companies must pay more to drill on federal lands under new Biden administration rule – Associated Press * U.S. clamps down on oil and gas firms releasing potent greenhouse gas – Washington Post
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Salmon using a fish ladder; Wikimedia Commons
The post Swimming upstream with Trout Unlimited appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by author Betsy Gaines Quammen to talk about public lands and extremism. Betsy has written two books about extremism in the West. Her first, American Zion, looks at the connection between Mormonism and extremism. Her second book, True West, which came out last year, digs into the myths that define the West.
News* Interior rule aims to crack down on methane leaks from oil, gas drilling on public lands – Associated Press * Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument video – Center for Western Priorities * California tribe that lost 90% of land during Gold Rush to get site to serve as gateway to redwoods – Associated Press
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: USFWS/Flickr
The post Talking public lands extremism with Betsy Gaines Quammen appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by three members of the reporting team behind, Lithium Liabilities, a groundbreaking investigation into how lithium mining could affect the West’s water supply. Emma Peterson, Morgan Casey, and Lauren Mucciolo are part of a large team of editors, photographers, and reporters who worked on the investigation at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
Click here to read an automatically generated transcript of the episode.
News* Feds publish “unprecedented” Bears Ears plan – Land Desk * Lithium Liabilities – Cronkite News * Comment on Bears Ears draft management plan – Bureau of Land Management * Shutting off Arizona’s spigot to Saudi Arabian cows and political bull – Arizona Republic
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Doc Searls/Flickr
The post Will lithium mining dry up the West? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by pollsters Lori Weigel and Dave Metz to discuss the 14th Annual Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West poll. The poll surveys voters in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Colorado on their environmental views. This year, it found support for conservation of nature is higher than ever.
Click here to read an automatically generated transcript of the episode.
News* Wyoming Legislature’s two chambers OK ‘Kelly Parcel’ sale to feds for $100M – WyoFile * Bipartisan conservation poll shows increasing concern over environmental issues in Western States – CPR News * Feds Deny Dam Permits on Tribal Lands – Grand Canyon Trust
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post What Western voters want in 2024 appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Justin Meuse, Director of Government Relations for Climate and Energy at the Wilderness Society, to talk about a proposal from the Bureau of Land Management to prioritize around 22 million acres of public land for utility scale solar development across the West. They discuss why planning matters, how much solar development to actually expect if this plan proceeds, and how you can get involved.
View an automatically generated transcript of this episode here.
News* Why Utah leaders just rejected a valuable Bears Ears land swap – Salt Lake Tribune * BLM analysis aims to optimize solar energy development throughout the West – Bureau of Land Management * Arizona Republicans challenge Biden’s designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon – Associated Press * 2024 State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll – Colorado College * Comment on the Solar PEIS
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post More solar on public lands? Digging into BLM’s plan appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Driven by high uranium prices, domestic uranium mining has resumed at three locations in the U.S. after an eight-year hiatus. Kate and Aaron are joined by Amber Reimondo, Energy Director at the Grand Canyon Trust and Scott Clow, Environmental Programs Director for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, to discuss how that will impact the Grand Canyon and Tribal communities on the Colorado Plateau.
Click here for an automatically generated transcript.
News* First conventional uranium mining in the U.S. in 8 years has begun in Utah and Arizona – KSJD * Alarm as first uranium mine in years opens near Grand Canyon – The Guardian * BLM deals “big setback” to plan for massive expansion of limestone quarry above Glenwood Springs – Colorado Sun * Native American tribe seeks designation of California monument – E&E News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
The post Uranium mining returns to the Colorado Plateau appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by I Ling Thompson, CEO of The Foundation for America’s Public Lands. The Foundation is the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management. Its job is to engage with local communities and the public on behalf of the agency. Thompson discusses the challenges the BLM faces and how the Foundation plans to help, as well as how members of the public can engage with the Foundation.
Click here for an automatically generated transcript.
News* NYSE pulls plan for environmentally sustainable asset class – Reuters * BLM plan aims to dramatically expand Western solar – E&E News * Learn more about The Foundation for America’s Public Lands and sign up for emails
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post Inside the Foundation for America’s Public Lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Tony Caligiuri, president and CEO of Colorado Open Lands, a nonprofit land trust that exists to protect Colorado’s land and water resources. Colorado Open Lands works primarily with private landowners to place voluntary agreements called conservation easements on their property. Tony talks about how private land and water conservation works, as well as the vital role it plays in the national effort to protect 30 percent of U.S. land and water by 2030.
News* First conventional uranium mining in the U.S. in 8 years has begun in Utah and Arizona – KSJD * Conservation opponents have a new boogeyman: Natural Asset Companies – Westwise * Native tribes are getting a slice of their land back — under the condition that they preserve it – Los Angeles Times * Donate to Colorado Open Lands
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: BLM/Flickr
The post The private land piece of the 30×30 puzzle appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala for a year-end public lands news roundup and a look ahead at 2024. Overall, 2023 was a great year for public lands. The Biden administration took some really important and concrete steps toward protecting 30 percent of U.S. lands by 2030, as well as started some important rule-makings to update public lands management and end drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. But the pressure is on as we head into 2024. We talk about what public lands lovers should be watching in the new year.
News* Road to 30 Postcards – Center for Western Priorities (proposed monument blogs, videos, and more) * Look West monthly newsletters – Westwise * The Biden Administration Has Reached Conservation Records in 2023 – Center for American Progress
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: USInterior/Flickr
The post The year in public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by Ben Goldfarb, an award-winning environmental journalist and author who covers wildlife conservation, marine science, and public lands management, to talk about his new book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, which is out now from Norton. In Crossings, Goldfarb explores how roads have made […]
The post Author Ben Goldfarb on the power—and peril—of roads appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by pollster Lindsay Vermeyen, senior vice president at Benenson Strategy Group, and Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala to dig into the results of our 2023 Winning the West poll. Spoiler alert: Western voters really love public lands, and they want to see them protected. Kate and Aaron also recap some of the great public lands and conservation news that came out in August.
News* Winning the West 2023 poll results – Center for Western Priorities * Biden proposes vast new marine sanctuary in partnership with California tribe – NPR * Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary film – Center for Western Priorities * August was a great month for public lands – Westwise
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Center for Western Priorities
The post Digging into our 2023 Winning the West poll results appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by I Ling Thompson, vice president of strategy and engagement at the Trust for Public Land, to discuss a new report from the Trust called the Power of Parks to Promote Health. The report looks at the myriad ways urban parks improve human and environmental health, as well as how cities and park managers can ensure parks are used to their full potential. Thompson also touches on how new parks are funded and how the construction of new parks can benefit low income communities without displacing them.
News* I Ling Thompson Selected As Inaugural CEO Of The Foundation For America’s Public Lands – Foundation For America’s Public Lands * Federal appeals court derails Uinta Basin Railway plan to send billions more gallons of Utah crude through Colorado – Colorado Sun * Power of Parks to Promote Health – Trust for Public Land * ParkScore – Trust for Public Land * Court dismisses challenge to Biden’s restoration of Utah monuments shrunk by Trump – Associated Press * The Antiquities Act and America’s national monuments: Frequently Asked Questions – Aaron Weiss
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, Utah; Geoff Alexander, Flickr
The post How urban parks improve public health appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
In a special Road to 30: Postcards episode, Aaron and Kate talk to two members of the Havasupai Tribe about the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. The proposed monument would partially surround and help protect the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as the communities that live in and near the […]
The post Inside the effort to protect the greater Grand Canyon region appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The Bureau of Land Management just proposed a rule that would essentially codify the oil and gas reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act as well as make a few other important changes to the federal leasing program. The proposed rule would fundamentally change the way oil and gas leasing occurs on public lands, putting the […]
The post New oil and gas rule just dropped. What’s in it? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Lori Faeth, senior director of government relations at the Land Trust Alliance, to discuss the Farm Bill and private land conservation. The Farm Bill conservation programs are the largest single federal source of funding for private land conservation. Farm Bill programs create significant opportunities for land trusts to protect […]
The post How the Farm Bill promotes private land conservation appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage, a project of the Earth Island Institute, to talk about the Biden administration’s efforts to protect old growth and mature forests. They also touch on reducing wildfire risk through forest management. Dr. DellaSala is the author of over 300 science papers […]
The post What’s going on with old growth forests? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by James Kenna, a 40-year Interior Department veteran who wore a number of hats over his decades of public service, including a stint as the California state director at Bureau of Land Management. That gave him a front row seat to land management decisions that would shape America’s energy future. […]
The post A BLM veteran weighs in on the agency’s proposed conservation leasing rule appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by filmmaker John De Graaf to talk about his new documentary Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty. De Graaf has been producing and directing PBS documentaries for 45 years, 32 of which he spent at KCTS, the Seattle PBS affiliate. His new film recounts former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall’s […]
The post Stewart Udall and the politics of beauty appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by Grace Wu, an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, to talk about her research on balancing renewable energy development and conservation in the West. The study examined the potential habitat loss and land use impacts of developing the complete set of onshore wind, offshore wind, large-scale solar, distributed solar, transmission, and bioenergy resources needed to reach economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 for the 11 western US states.
News* Minimizing habitat conflicts in meeting net-zero energy targets in the western United States – PNAS * Breaking down the”breakthrough” Colorado River deal – Land Desk * Public lands rule information – Bureau of Land Management * USGS rejects push to make copper a ‘critical’ mineral – E&E News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
The post Can renewable energy and conservation coexist? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by journalist Danielle Prokop and photographer Diana Cervantes to talk about their recent series documenting drought on the Rio Grande River, which runs from Colorado, through New Mexico, to Texas. Danielle and Diana produced the series for Source New Mexico, a statewide non-profit journalism outlet.
News* Uranium speculation comes knocking on Bears Ears’ doorstep – Salt Lake Tribune * In a Climate Trade-Off, Biden Backs Manchin’s Fossil Fuel Plan – New York Times * FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Outlines Priorities for Building America’s Energy Infrastructure Faster, Safer, and Cleaner – White House * Crisis on the Rio Grande – Source New Mexico * Decades of effort have a Navajo community on the verge of clean water access – KUNM
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Rio Grande River, Asaavedra32/Wikimedia Commons
The post Why you should care about the Rio Grande River appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by Alli Henderson, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, and Blaine Miller-McFeeley, a senior legislative representative at Earthjustice, to talk about the recently-introduced Mining Regulatory Clarity Act—or, as Miller-McFeeley has renamed it, the Dirty Mining Trumps All Other Uses Act.
They talk about what prompted Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada to file the bill, what makes it so bad, what good mining reform looks like, and how it can be accomplished. For a backgrounder on the bill, check out our recent Westwise blog.
News* Fossil fuel-friendly lawmakers tie debt ceiling to handouts for oil and gas industry – Center for Western Priorities * Environmentalists denounce Nevada U.S. senator’s mining bill – Associated Press * Conservation momentum surges for southwest Colorado’s Dolores River as record flows draw rafters – Colorado Sun
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Bureau of Land Management
The post A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mining bill appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by clean energy consultant Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies LLC, to talk about the need to ramp up renewable transmission capacity in the U.S. Gramlich tells us what the Inflation Reduction Act did and didn’t do when it comes to transmission, as well as how Congress can incentivize the construction of transmission lines to meet the growing need—without weakening America’s bedrock environmental laws.
News* Manchin to reintroduce permitting bill, hold hearing – E&E News * Tribes Propose New Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument – Grand Canyon Trust * It’s time to ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon – Center for Western Priorities * As ExxonMobil Dismisses Drilling in Arctic Refuge, Locals Say ‘Congress Must Act’ – Common Dreams
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Chris Hunkeler, Flickr
The post What’s really holding up renewable energy transmission construction appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by the co-chairs of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, a new group that came together to ensure conservation benefits marginalized and overly burdened communities. Nse Witherspoon, executive director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and Mark Magaña, founder and CEO of GreenLatinos, talk about their coalition’s 2023 policy agenda as well as funding opportunities for groups that are working toward a more just and equitable conservation movement.
News* BLM proposes seismic shift in lands management – E&E News * Justice40 Accelerator * America the Beautiful for All 2023 Policy Agenda * US rolls out funding for wildlife crossings along busy roads – Associated Press
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
(Featured image: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, California; BLM, Flickr)
The post Making conservation more inclusive appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The announcement of two new national monuments formed the centerpiece of the White House Conservation in Action Summit on March 21, 2023. Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range national monuments using his authority under the Antiquities Act, protecting over half a million acres in perpetuity.
Center for Western Priorities Campaigns and Special Projects Director Lauren Bogard and Executive Director Jen Rokala join Kate to talk about the new monuments and what made the campaigns to protect both Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range so successful.
News* President Biden Designates Avi Kwa Ame National Monument – White House * President Biden Designates Castner Range National Monument – White House * Road to 30: Postcards. – Center for Western Priorities * Monuments to America’s Past – Center for Western Priorities
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
(Featured image: Castner Range in bloom, Mark Clune)
The post Biden designates two new national monuments appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by author and professor Natalie Koch, whose new book—Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia—explores the ways in which Arizona and Saudi Arabia have worked together to promote desert agriculture, and how that work is connected to a global obsession with engineering our way out of ecosystem collapse. Koch is a professor of geography and the environment at Syracuse University.
Aaron and Kate also talk to Jenny Rowland-Shea, public lands director at the Center for American Progress, about three major Biden administration announcements affecting Alaska, including the Willow Project decision.
News* Biden Administration Approves Huge Alaska Oil Project – New York Times * Interior secretary rejects Izembek Refuge land exchange but commits to new process to get a road for King Cove – Alaska Public Media * Alaska protections announced as Biden reportedly set to approve huge oil project – The Guardian
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
(Featured image: A cotton field outside Phoenix, near Goodyear, AZ; Jennifer A. Johnson, Wikimedia)
The post The tangled fates of Arizona and Arabia appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by pollsters Lori Weigel and Dave Metz to talk about the most interesting and important statistics from the recently released 2023 Colorado College State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll. The poll found that voters care just as much about protecting public lands and waters, as well as about transitioning to renewable energy, as ever—despite feeling the pressures of inflation and high gas prices.
News* State of the Rockies 2023 Conservation in the West poll – Colorado College * After record profits, House panel considers massive taxpayer giveaway to oil and gas companies – Center for Western Priorities * Recommendations for the Rulemaking to Revise Existing Regulations for the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program – The Wilderness Society * Border plant joins ESA list despite Texas AG’s objections – E&E News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Ear Mountain Conservation Mgmt Area, Lewistown, Montana; Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management
The post What Western voters think about conservation appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron are joined by water scientist Brad Udall to talk about the current state of the Colorado River. Water levels are dropping and something has to give or the river’s main reservoirs—Lake Powell and Lake Mead— are going to run dry. But states aren’t anywhere close to an agreement on how much each one is going to cut back.
Udall, who teaches at Colorado State University and researches the impact of climate change on the Colorado River, is here to explain what’s going on, how dire the situation is, and what could happen next.
News* State of the Rockies 2023 Conservation in the West poll – Colorado College * ‘This is about self-determination and sovereignty’: Tribes welcome return of ancestral lands – Indianz * The Decolonial Atlas
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Grand Canyon National Park, Flickr
The post What’s going on with the Colorado River? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Aaron and Kate are joined by two mining reform experts to talk about the need to update our century-old mining laws and regulations in order to protect vulnerable communities and public lands as interest in mining grows thanks to electric vehicles and renewable energy needs.
Roger Flynn is the director and managing attorney at Western Mining Action Project, a nonprofit law project working on hard rock mining. He also teaches mining law at the University of Colorado law school. Aaron Mintzes is senior policy counsel at Earthworks where he works on transforming hard rock mining, oil, and gas policy.
This is the second episode in our two-part series on critical minerals and mining in the West.
News* Biden, Democrats rage as Big Oil touts record profits – The Hill * Why California is so far apart from other states in Colorado River water cuts plan – Los Angeles Times * Colorado animal sanctuary to open 22,450-acre horse refuge – 9News
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: arbyreed, Flickr
The post Why we need mining reform on public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Mining expert Ian Lange joins Kate and Aaron to talk about critical minerals and mining in the West. Lange directs the mineral and energy economics program at the Colorado School of Mines and is an expert in mining economics. He discusses what’s going on in the world of critical minerals—specifically those used in electric vehicle batteries. These include cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel and are mostly mined overseas, but we do have some of them here in the U.S. And we could see a big increase in domestic mining for them thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included subsidies aimed at stimulating mining at home.
*This episode is the first in a two-part series on mining in the West. The next episode will air in approximately two weeks and feature mining reform advocates.
News* Biden bans roads and logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest – New York Times * Fact-checking 3 claims about the GOP oil bill and White House response – Washington Post * U.S. energy chief says Biden would veto House Republican bill on oil reserve – Reuters * Progress report: President Biden’s second year on public lands – Center for Western Priorities
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Ken Lund, Flickr
The post Are we about to see a mining boom for EV minerals in the West? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
On this episode of The Landscape, Kate and Aaron are joined by Grand Canyon Trust staff attorney Michael Toll to discuss a plan to mine hundreds of thousands of barrels of waxy crude oil in Utah near Dinosaur National Monument, using billions of gallons of Colorado River Water.
A loophole in Utah law enabled an Estonian state-owned company called Enefit to buy 3.2 billion gallons of Colorado River water for just $10 in 2015. Now, Enefit wants to use that water to extract oil in the Uinta Basin using a novel method that is around 75 percent more carbon-intensive than traditional fossil fuel drilling. Toll discusses how Enefit acquired its massive water right and how the Grand Canyon Trust is fighting Enefit’s plan.
News* House speaker vote could portend ‘pure chaos’ for GOP policy agenda – Washington Post * In Arizona, Colorado River crisis stokes worry over growth and groundwater depletion – Los Angeles Times * How a Utah utility is helping an Estonian oil company hoard Colorado River water – Grist * New national monument proposed south of Joshua Tree National Park – Desert Sun
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Staplegunther, Wikimedia Commons
The post Fighting a plan to mine oil in Utah using billions of gallons of Colorado River water appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
On this episode of The Landscape, Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and CWP Director of Campaigns and Special Projects Lauren Bogard join Aaron and Kate to go over the past year in public lands. From the passage of the largest climate bill in U.S. history (which includes major oil and gas leasing reforms) to a new national monument to the launch of a new conservation funding program, 2022 was a big year for public lands. The CWP team talks about what all of these developments mean and how they will continue playing out in 2023.
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Aaron Weiss/Center for Western Priorities
The post The past year in public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Renowned nature photographer Pete McBride joins Aaron and CWP’s Director of Campaigns and Special Projects Lauren Bogard on the pod to discuss his work documenting the Colorado River.
Pete is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer who has been to more than 75 countries on assignment for clients ranging from the National Geographic Society to the Smithsonian. After a decade documenting expeditions from Everest to Antarctica, he turned his cameras to his own backyard—the Colorado River—which turned into a book, three documentaries, and a PBS show. His National Geographic Channel documentary “Into the Grand Canyon” was nominated for an Emmy in 2020.
News* Manchin’s last-gasp permitting effort fails – E&E News * What to expect in the lame-duck session – E&E News * An evidence-based look at permitting reform – The Landscape podcast * Pete McBride on Instagram * Into the Grand Canyon (documentary) – National Geographic/Disney+
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Ken Lund/Flickr
The post Photographer Pete McBride on the Colorado River appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
This week on The Landscape, Aaron and Kate talk to Drew McConville and Sam Zeno from the Center for American Progress about their new report, which identifies the top 8 actions Biden can take to meet his America the Beautiful goal of protecting 30 percent of American lands and waters by 2030.
Drew McConville is a senior fellow at CAP and a former member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, where he helped develop and implement President Obama’s climate action plan. Sam Zeno is a conservation Research Assistant at CAP who worked on the report.
News* Biden commits to honoring tribes by protecting public lands in Nevada – Washington Post * Report: Top 8 Opportunities President Biden Should Pursue To Meet His America the Beautiful Commitment – Center for American Progress
CreditsHosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management
The post The top 8 actions Biden can take to protect 30×30 appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
CWP Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and Colorado-based political consultant Curtis Hubbard join Aaron to break down the 2022 election results and what they mean for public lands across the West. Producer: Aaron WeissMusic: Purple PlanetFeatured image: @POTUS
The post What the 2022 election means for public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
This week on The Landscape, Aaron and Kate talk to forest scientists Megan Cattau and Nayani Ilangakoon to find out what’s up in the world of wildfire risk reduction and forest recovery. Specifically, they ask about the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to plant a billion trees over the next decade, as well as how climate […]
The post What the science says about national forest management appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Author and outdoors enthusiast McKenzie Long joins Aaron and Kate to chat about her new book, This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments. The book is an exploration of national monuments—why they matter, what it takes to create them, and how they impact nearby communities. McKenzie visited 13 national […]
The post What makes national monuments special? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
University of Utah law professor Jamie Pleune joins Kate and Aaron on the Landscape to talk about the National Environmental Policy Act and permitting reform. Pleune and her colleagues analyzed over 40,000 Forest Service NEPA decisions to determine the mean and median time it takes to complete reviews, as well as what causes the majority of delays […]
The post An evidence-based look at permitting reform appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Just in time for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 24, a conversation with Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation. VVF is one of the groups sponsoring a hike and rally for the proposed Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument on Saturday. News Manchin’s permitting bill sets up clash over government funding National Park […]
The post Is Camp Hale our next national monument? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge would protect around 340,000 acres southeast of Los Angeles in southern California, helping preserve habitat for around 150 native species—over 30 of which are endangered—as well as green space for the county’s largely Latino population. Riverside County is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the country, […]
The post BONUS: Closing the Nature Gap in Southern California (en español) appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge would protect around 340,000 acres southeast of Los Angeles in southern California, helping preserve habitat for around 150 native species—over 30 of which are endangered—as well as green space for the county’s largely Latino population. Riverside County is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the country, […]
The post Closing the Nature Gap in Southern California appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Collin O’Mara joins Aaron and Kate to talk all things Inflation Reduction Act, including: what’s in it, how the bill came together behind the scenes, how his group and others got Senator Joe Manchin on board with some of the bolder provisions in the bill, whether it’s ultimately a good or bad thing, how it […]
The post National Wildlife Federation president Collin O’Mara on the IRA appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and Policy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn are joined by political consultant and former Denver Post editorial page editor Curtis Hubbard for a wide-ranging discussion about the 2020 elections and what the results mean for public lands in the West.
The post Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and Policy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn are joined by political consultant and former Denver Post editorial page editor Curtis Hubbard for a wide-ranging discussion about the 2020 elections and what the results mean for public lands in the West. appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Author Nate Schweber joins Kate to talk about his new book This America of Ours, which chronicles the lives of forgotten 20th century conservation heroes Avis and Bernard DeVoto. The literary couple thwarted a plot to privatize millions of acres of public land, then successfully fought off an attempt to dam the Green River inside […]
The post This America of Ours: The story of public land champions Avis and Bernard DeVoto appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Kate and Aaron run down the surprise climate legislation unveiled last night and talk about what it means for public lands, as well as whether or not the package can actually make it to President Biden’s desk. Then, Evergreen Action‘s chief of staff Lena Moffitt joins Kate and Aaron to talk about what President Biden […]
The post Manchin came to the table on climate. Now what? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
On this episode of The Landscape, Leah Sottile joins Kate and Aaron to talk about the connections between the Bundy family standoffs and the January 6th insurrection, as well as her new book, “When the Moon Turns to Blood,” a wild and tragic case of two murdered children and religious extremism out of Idaho. Sottile […]
The post Leah Sottile on the Bundy-January 6 connection and her new book appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Pollster Lindsay Vermeyen joins Aaron and Kate to talk about CWP’s new Winning the West poll numbers. The poll, which was conducted in Western swing states in May 2022, found that Western voters still care a lot about conservation, despite everything else going on in the world right now. Notably, it found that Westerners are […]
The post What it takes to win the West appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Grassroots Wildland Firefighters vice president Lucas Mayfield and advocate Michelle Hart come on The Landscape to talk about what it's like to be a wildland firefighter and what the federal government can do to attract new people to the profession.
The post Wildland firefighters just got a raise… but is it enough? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Scientist and conservationist Ed Grumbine joins Kate and Aaron to talk about what’s missing from President Biden’s America the Beautiful plan—and what the administration can do to get the ball rolling on 30x30.
The post What’s missing in Biden’s America the Beautiful plan appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Former Center for Western Priorities’ policy and design associate Tyler McIntosh and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance wildlands attorney Judi Brawer join Kate and Aaron to discuss the increasing pressures outdoor recreation is putting on our public lands—just in time for Memorial Day Weekend and summer camping season!
The post Are we loving our lands to death? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The Gila Wilderness was the first wilderness area designated in the country, and it’s coming up on its 100 year anniversary in 2024. Hear from USFWS biologist Leanna Torres and Apache backcountry guide Joe Saenz about what makes the Gila special, as well as the threats it's facing today, from military flyovers to attempts to dam the Gila River.
The post First & Wildest: The Gila Wilderness at 100 appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Researcher and author Laura J. Martin joins the Landscape to talk about the history of ecological restoration in the United States and how it led to today’s booming off-site environmental mitigation and carbon offset industries.
The post The history of ecological restoration appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
John Leshy literally wrote the book on America's public lands.
The post John Leshy on the history and future of public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
What's really going on with gas prices? Dive into the data with us.
The post High gas prices and oil industry lies appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
You’ve probably heard Indigenous land acknowledgements before at events or conferences. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland even delivered one at the Boston Marathon last year.
But is there a right way and a wrong way to acknowledge Indigenous land? And how can we make sure they’re not just window dressing?
Rosie Thunderchief is an Indigenous woman based in Albuquerque, New Mexico who is descended from multiple tribes. She works for the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps as an administrative manager and has served as an unofficial land acknowledgements advisor to the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, which we featured in a previous episode of the Landscape.
She joins Kate and Aaron to discuss how land acknowledgements can create space for healing and to provide guidance for coming up with land acknowledgements of your own.
News
The Rural Outdoor Investment Act Has the Potential to Jump-Start Rural America’s Adventure Industry
Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Land Acknowledgement
Who Decides What Goes on a Map?
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Maria Ramos/USFWS
Rosie Thunderchief joins Kate and Aaron to discuss how land acknowledgements can create space for healing and to provide guidance for doing land acknowledgements of your own.
The post We’re still here: The how and why of land acknowledgements appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact, an agreement between seven western states that determines how the river’s water is shared. To celebrate, we talked to reporter Luke Runyon, who covered the Colorado River extensively as a reporter for KUNC, a public radio station based in Greeley, Colorado.
Luke takes us behind the scenes of his 1,400 mile trip from a cattle ranch in western Colorado to the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation in southwest Arizona—completed in 10 days—and reflects on what he saw as well as the future of the Colorado River. He also touches on negotiations over how the river’s water is shared between states and tribes that began in 2021 and are set to conclude in an update to the Colorado River Compact in 2026.
News
After decades of warming and drying, the Colorado River struggles to water the West
A Colorado River showdown is looming. Let the posturing begin
Judge throws out massive Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale
World’s largest wildlife crossing under way in Los Angeles
Biden administration to give states $1.15 billion to plug orphaned wells
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Bob Wick/BLM
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact, an agreement between seven western states that determines how the river’s water is shared. To celebrate, we talked to reporter Luke Runyon, who covered the Colorado River extensively as a reporter for KUNC, a public radio station based in Greeley, Colorado.
The post Reporter Luke Runyon on his Colorado River road trip appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
From buying off experts to luring in underpaid teachers with promises of classroom supplies, Big Oil and Big Coal are waging a successful war on accurate science education and setting the U.S. up to fail in its fight against climate change.
Award-winning investigative journalist Katie Worth joins Aaron and Kate to talk about the issue, which is the topic of her new book, Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America. The book, which came out in November 2021, pulls the curtain back on the many ways the fossil fuel industry is sowing doubt about climate change in America’s classrooms, despite the global scientific consensus that human-causing climate change is real and getting worse.
News
Federal estimate of abandoned wells skyrockets
Bureau of Land Management takes next step to protect Chaco from drilling
California gets 72,000-acre nature preserve thanks to big donation
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Courtesy of publisher
Award-winning investigative journalist Katie Worth joins Aaron and Kate to talk about her new book, Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America.
The post Katie Worth on how Big Oil is influencing public education appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
The folks behind Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico come on The Landscape to talk about how the first urban wildlife refuge in the Southwest came to be. We’re joined by refuge manager Jennifer Owen-White, Friends of Valle de Oro president David Barber, and Los Jardines Institute co-coordinator Richard Moore for this episode, which is part of our Road to 30: Postcards series.
News
Manchin says he won’t vote for Build Back Better
Interior releases America the Beautiful progress report
California butterfly gets endangered species protection
The folks behind Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico come on The Landscape to talk about how the first urban wildlife refuge in the Southwest came to be.
The post The story of Valle de Oro, the Southwest’s first urban wildlife refuge appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
What’s going on with gas prices, and is the Biden administration to blame? Aaron, Kate, and Jesse are joined by Brad Handler of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, who explains why gas prices spiked this summer, and what comes next.
News
Biden directs US federal government to be carbon-neutral by 2050
Biden sets out oil, gas leasing reform, stops short of ban
Biden is approving more oil and gas drilling permits on public lands than Trump, analysis finds
Fact checker: The bogus GOP claim that Biden is responsible for higher gasoline prices
A full transcript of this episode is available on CWP’s Westwise blog
What's going on with gas prices, and is the Biden administration to blame? Aaron, Kate, and Jesse are joined by Brad Handler of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines.
The post Everything you wanted to know about gas prices but were afraid to ask appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
Lauren Bogard, CWP’s Director of Campaigns and Special Projects, joins Kate and Aaron to take us behind the scenes of our new Road to 30: Postcards multimedia series. The first two video postcards are from Bears Ears in Utah, and the Castner Range in Texas.
You can also explore an interactive map on America’s national trails system.
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Join us behind the scenes of CWP's "Road to 30: Postcards" multimedia series
The post Postcards from the Road to 30 appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
CWP’s Aaron Weiss and Lauren Bogard sat down with Colorado rancher Jay Fetcher, a finalist for the 2021 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award. Jay’s father and uncle founded Fetcher Ranch in 1949, and Jay was instrumental in the creation of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, which protects working agricultural land while conserving natural resources.
The post Jay Fetcher on his family’s ranching and conservation legacy appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.
This episode is a prelude to CWP’s Road to 30: Postcards video series, which will premiere next week with a series of videos on places that are in need of protection and can set America on track to protect 30 percent of its land and waters by 2030.
CWP’s Aaron Weiss and Lauren Bogard sat down with Colorado rancher Jay Fetcher, a finalist for the 2021 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award. Jay’s father and uncle founded Fetcher Ranch in 1949, and Jay was instrumental in the creation of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, which protects working agricultural land while conserving natural resources.
See more photos from Fetcher Ranch.
News ‘Faulty’ science used by Trump appointees to cut owl habitat
Proposed national marine sanctuary off California advances
Rarest mammal in North America found in Colorado garage
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Aaron Weiss
This episode of The Landscape features CWP Conservation Policy and Research Manager Tyler McIntosh, whose new report, The Camping Crunch, looks at the increase in popularity of camping on national public lands, especially protected areas.
News:
- Methane emissions in the spotlight
- As Manchin blocks climate action, his state can’t hold back floods
- AP poll: Where Americans stand on climate and energy policy
- Dierdre Wolownick, mother of Alex Honnold, climbs El Capitan for her 70th birthday
Subscribe to Look West for public lands and energy news in your inbox every morning.
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury represents New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, which includes her hometown of Albuquerque. She took office in the summer of 2021, replacing now-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The congresswoman centered climate change in her campaign for Congress, a message she says resonated with the vast majority of her voters.
In this episode of the Landscape, she talks about running on a climate platform, centering climate in the reconciliation process, and the tough challenges facing New Mexico related to climate change.
She’s also got some advice for conservation and environmental groups at the end of the episode.
Links
- Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury’s official House page
- Utah Diné Bikeyah Bears Ears celebration
- Haaland op-ed
- Secretary Haaland runs the Boston Marathon
Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Glenn Harper, Flickr
Author and journalist Jonathan Thompson joins Aaron and Kate to talk about his new book, Sagebrush Empire, from Torrey House Press.
The book explores the birth of the Sagebrush Rebellion, a movement that rejects regulations and restrictions on public lands, as well as how the unique characteristics of San Juan County led the Sagebrush Rebellion to flourish there. He also shares some of his own views on how to manage recreation on public land.
Sagebrush Empire is Jonathan’s second book. His first, River of Lost Souls, is about the Gold King Mine spill in southwestern Colorado. He also publishes a newsletter called The Land Desk, which tackles topics related to Western public lands.
Links * Order Sagebrush Empire * Subscribe to The Land Desk * Read about 30×30 contributions * Listen to interview with Park Ranger Betty Soskin