Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** New Interior policy amounts to 'shadow ban' on wind and solar
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Tuesday, July 22, 2025
A solar energy project, BLM California via Flickr ([link removed])
Last week, the Interior department announced a new policy ([link removed]) that wind and solar projects would require Secretary Doug Burgum's sign-off at each stage of the permitting process. Critics of the new policy are pointing out ([link removed]) the disconnect between this new policy and President Donald Trump's stated interest in increasing efficiency and reducing "regulatory burdens" on energy development on national public lands.
"Can you imagine if Secretary Burgum ran his billion-dollar tech company like this — reviewing every single IT ticket himself?" said Kabir Green ([link removed]) , director of federal affairs for nature at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "That kind of micromanagement would paralyze any operation, and here it’s being used deliberately to snuff out renewable energy development."
Green characterized ([link removed]) the new policy as a "shadow ban" on wind and solar projects. Other critics have noted that the new policy serves as further evidence that the Trump administration's "energy dominance" agenda does not include renewable energy. According to ([link removed]) Representative Jared Huffman of California, the ranking member of the House National Resources Committee, "This memo confirms what we've known all along: The Trump administration is deliberately sabotaging clean energy on our public lands."
** Quick hits
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‘We’re frustrated’: Lawmakers press Indian Affairs nominee on key issues
Indianz ([link removed])
On the Navajo Nation, the list of mystery wells continues to grow
Capital & Main ([link removed])
Widespread backlash killed Sen. Mike Lee’s plan to sell public lands. Utah state leaders are undeterred
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
As wildfires rage, Trump staff cuts force firefighters to clean toilets
Reuters ([link removed])
Report exposes poor industry compliance with Colorado's oil and gas chemical disclosure requirements
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed])
Historical context removed from signage at Muir Woods National Monument
The 19th ([link removed])
Journey's end: Tribal youth paddle the Klamath River as a revival brings new hope
Arizona Republic ([link removed])
Opinion: Congress should not wreak havoc on public lands
Minot Daily News ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Employing the Congressional Review Act is effectively a scorched earth policy. It not only revokes every single management guideline in that specific management plan, but it prevents the agency from ever putting forth any management plan that is substantially similar—something that will hinder uncontroversial management decisions forever.”
—John Bradley, Minot Daily News ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
Gold Butte National Monument is a remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern Nevada, where dramatically chiseled red sandstone, twisting canyons and tree-clad mountains punctuate stretches of the Mojave Desert.
The brightly hued sandstone provides a stunning canvas for the area’s famously beautiful rock art, and the desert provides critical habitat for the endangered Mojave Desert tortoise. The byway and other routes offer access to outdoor recreation, including hiking, horseback riding and camping.
Photo by Bob Wick / @mypubliclands ([link removed])
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