Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Burgum tries to rewrite the history of national monuments
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Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Tuxyso, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed])
As Interior officials target ([link removed]) national monuments to downsize or eliminate, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is trying to rewrite the history of the Antiquities Act, according to reporting ([link removed]) from Chris D'Angelo and Roque Planas of Public Domain. The Antiquities Act is a law passed in 1906 that presidents of both parties have used to designate more than 160 national monuments.
Last Friday, Burgum said ([link removed]) , “About 25 years ago, there was an idea that somehow this could be a precursor to creating a wilderness area or creating a national park, and you just needed a stroke of a pen of a president to say these vast swaths of land become a monument.”
But it was over 100 years ago, in 1908, that the Antiquities Act was used by then-President Theodore Roosevelt to protect more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon in Arizona as a national monument. A decade later, Congress established Grand Canyon National Park, spanning more than 1 million acres.
“The monument, designated with the stroke of Roosevelt’s pen, was literally a precursor to the Grand Canyon National Park that we cherish today,” D'Angelo and Planas write ([link removed]) . Other popular parks also started ([link removed]) as national monuments, including Olympic, Arches, and Zion national parks—all of which where originally protected using the Antiquities Act over 100 years ago.
Burgum makes these comments as Interior officials are currently looking ([link removed]) for national monuments to shrink or eliminate in order to lease national public lands to President Trump's billionaire benefactors. The administration is doing this despite 89 percent ([link removed]) of Western voters saying they support keeping national monument designations in place.
** All authors working on flagship U.S. climate report are dismissed
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On Monday, the Trump administration dismissed ([link removed]) the hundreds of scientists working on the National Climate Assessment—the government's flagship report on how climate change is affecting the country. The report, which is released about every four years and is required by Congress, looks at how rising temperatures will impact human health, agriculture, fisheries, water supplies, energy production, and more.
It remains unclear what will happen next with the assessment—because the report is still required by Congress, some fear ([link removed]) that the administration might try to write an entirely new report that downplays the threat of the climate crisis.
** Quick hits
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Column: Burgum rewrites history of national monuments as he prepares cuts
Public Domain ([link removed])
All authors working on flagship U.S. climate report are dismissed
New York Times ([link removed])
A forthcoming Supreme Court decision could limit agencies’ duty to consider environmental harms
Grist ([link removed])
Trump tries to ax Indigenous People’s Day as alternative to Columbus Day
Associated Press ([link removed])
Column: Here’s what happened to national monuments under Trump’s last administration
New Mexico Political Report ([link removed])
Enviro experts cast doubt on Trump’s 28-day energy infrastructure review push
E&E News ([link removed]∏=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=headline&source=email)
Opinion: Colorado’s Legislature is failing the critical climate moment. Can it step up?
Colorado Newsline ([link removed])
Land snorkeling is the new trend that's taking hikers deeper
Backpacker Magazine ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” There may well be a sixth National Climate Assessment. The question is whether it is going to reflect credible science and be of real use to our communities as they prepare for climate change.”
—Meade Krosby, a senior scientist at the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group and a contributor to the NCA, New York Times ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@yosemitenps ([link removed])
Behold…one of the most dangerous animals in Yosemite National Park!
When you think of dangerous wildlife, your mind might go to the mighty black bear or the elusive mountain lion. But every year, more injuries in Yosemite are caused by deer than by any other animal in the park.
Known for their “mule-like” ears, mule deer can be found grazing in meadows, chewing on bushes along trails, or crossing roads throughout the park. While these animals may seem harmless to humans, they are still wild and skittish. Equipped with sharp hooves and antlers, a deer will lash out and defend itself if startled. This happens most often when visitors try to approach or feed them.
A good rule to remember: feeding or approaching wildlife in Yosemite is illegal. Not only is this crucial for your safety, but it also helps protect wildlife from becoming too accustomed to humans. While they might appear friendly and adorable, mule deer are, at their core, wild animals that deserve their space.
So, on your next trek through the park, please keep your distance and admire these creatures from afar. Sometimes, the most picturesque animals can pack an unexpected punch!
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