** Oil production on public lands soars to 1 billion barrels
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
The signing of President Trump's Executive Order on "energy independence" ([link removed]) at the Interior Department in March, 2017. Photo: Tami Heilemann, DOI ([link removed])
Yesterday, the Interior Department announced ([link removed]) that for the first time U.S. oil production on public lands surpassed 1 billion barrels last year.
While Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist, was happy to trumpet ([link removed]) the benefits to industry from the dramatic increase in production of 122.5 million barrels over 2018, not everyone was quite as enthusiastic.
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva had this to say ([link removed]) about the production milestone: “Instead of announcing how much land has been preserved or how much our climate emissions have gone down, this president only brags about how much oil is being pumped out of our public lands on his watch. These numbers are not making our energy supply more sustainable – they’re just padding Big Oil’s bottom line."
** Podcast: Rep. Diana DeGette's legislation to designate wilderness in Colorado
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In the latest episode ([link removed]) of the Center for Western Priorities'
Go West, Young Podcast, a conversation with Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado about her wilderness protection bill ([link removed]) that's headed for the House floor this week ([link removed]) (the White House issued a statement ([link removed]) strongly opposing the package of wilderness bills), as well as the challenges of performing congressional oversight in the Trump era.
Quick hits
** Hearing on efforts to gut environmental reviews draws staunch opponents
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Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])
** House Natural Resources Committee to vote today on issuing itself subpoena power
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Roll Call ([link removed])
** Case involving illegal ATV ride in Recapture Canyon cost Utah county over $400K
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
** U.S. oil production on public lands exceeds 1 billion barrels in 2019
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The Hill ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Fox25 ([link removed])
** Podcast: Rep. Diana DeGette on her wilderness bill and congressional oversight of the Trump administration
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Go West, Young Podcast ([link removed])
** Idaho lawmakers go back and forth over public lands access legislation
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Idaho Statesman ([link removed])
** Yellowstone National Park biologist's reflections on wolf reintroduction 25 years ago to the present
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Casper Star Tribune ([link removed])
** Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument will suffer irreversible damage from Trump's border wall construction
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National Parks Traveler ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The National Environmental Policy Act has done more than any other law in the last 50 years to protect America’s lands and wildlife and ensure public comment. It’s completely on brand that the Trump administration is cutting the American public out of the process.”
—Aaron Weiss ([link removed]) , Deputy Director of the Center for Western Priorities
Picture this
** Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ([link removed]) in southern Arizona
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Organ Pipe cactus at sunset
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