Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Proposed oil and gas royalty rate cuts will cost $5 billion
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Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Oil and gas development in Wyoming, BLM Wyoming ([link removed])

While the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency are recklessly slashing budgets, canceling popular programs, and firing thousands of Americans with the ostensible goal of saving money, Congress is proposing to forego billions of dollars in revenues from oil and gas royalty payments. The House Natural Resources Committee has proposed a provision in its budget reconciliation bill that would reduce the royalty rates for oil and gas produced on national public lands.

An analysis by Resources for the Future ([link removed]) has found that, even after accounting for a potential increase in oil and gas production in response to decreased royalty rates, the proposed lower royalty rates would result in a loss of nearly $5 billion in revenue over the next ten years, followed by losses of an average of $2 billion per year thereafter. This loss of revenue would both increase the federal deficit and impact state budgets ([link removed]) , since royalty revenues are shared with the state where drilling takes place.

In addition to being fiscally irresponsible, reducing oil and gas royalty rates is unpopular with the public. According to the 2025 Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West poll ([link removed]) , only 12 percent of Western voters support decreasing oil and gas royalty rates.

How are the national parks holding up against DOGE and Trump’s attacks?

In the latest episode ([link removed]) of the Center for Western Priorities podcast, The Landscape ([link removed]) , Kate and Aaron talk to Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor of National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) , about President Donald Trump’s proposed funding cuts to the National Park System as well as how staffing cuts imposed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are affecting the Park Service.


** Quick hits
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Interior department weighs less conservation, more extraction

New York Times ([link removed])

‘They don’t want to say what they’re up to’: Interior releases heavily redacted action plans

KJZZ ([link removed])

'Shock and awe': Trump’s mining blitz ramps up public land fights

E&E News ([link removed])

Utah officials planning airport expansion, more and wider roads on public lands proposed for sell-off

Utah News Dispatch ([link removed]) | KUER ([link removed])

Local governments in Colorado demanding more accountability from oil and gas

Denver Post ([link removed])

Where does all the coal traveling south on I-25 go?

CPR News ([link removed])

Opinion: Secretary Burgum is acting irresponsibly

National Parks Traveler ([link removed])

Opinion: Transfer, sale of public lands no longer just a threat—it's a reality

Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])


** Quote of the day
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”

The principle of public ownership is fundamental to the American West. Public lands belong to all citizens, ensuring equal access and shared benefits. Selling off these lands would transfer control to private interests, leading to restricted access and prioritization of profit over public good.”

—Rick Mickelsen, Keep It Public Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])


** Picture This
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@carlsbadcavernsnps ([link removed])
Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits grown in the United States. While not the typical strawberry fruit everyone knows, Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus stramineus) do produce small red fruits that are said to taste like strawberries. These fruits are a real treat for birds and rodents who can get past the long spines on both the plant and the fruit.

While the fruits are harder to notice at a distance, the bright pink blooms in May are easier to spot. As you drive into the park look up on high rock ledges for a pop of pink.

Photo Courtesy of NPS | T.Gleason

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