** November, in brief
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2018 political ad attacking Steve Pearce's land sell-off record, archived in CWP's How Public Lands Won the West ([link removed]) comp reel


** Key news from November:
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* The government shutdown ended, but the nightmare ([link removed]) facing public lands has only just begun. While thousands of ([link removed]) public land managers were furloughed during the shutdown, oil and gas drilling permits continued to be issued ([link removed]) . During the shutdown, the administration approved ([link removed]) about 700 new permits to drill on public lands, and the overall pace of approvals rose to the highest level since May ([link removed]) . Also during the shutdown, a fire burned hundreds
([link removed]) of Joshua trees and a vandal graffitied ([link removed]) Arches National Park. Parks will now try to build back, though many worry that the shutdown's impacts offer a preview of President Donald Trump's long-term vision ([link removed]) for public lands.

* President Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Representative Steve Pearce of New Mexico to run the Bureau of Land Management ([link removed]) , the federal agency that oversees 245 million acres of national public lands. As a congressman, Pearce amassed a lengthy anti-public lands record, co-sponsoring numerous bills that would have undermined the Antiquities Act ([link removed]) and made it easier to sell off national public lands, earning him the nickname “Sell-off Steve.” In a Westwise blog post ([link removed]) , Creative Content and Policy Manager Lilly Bock-Brownstein describes how Pearce's nomination is a threat to the very existence of public lands.

* The Trump administration is considering ([link removed]) revoking a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling on federal land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. President Joe Biden issued an order banning new oil and gas development within 10 miles of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. Most recently, members of the New Mexico congressional delegation and Pueblo leaders held a press conference ([link removed]) to urge Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park and continue protecting it from oil and gas drilling.

* A new analysis ([link removed]) by the Center for Western Priorities found that 98 percent of public comments oppose the proposed recision of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly known as the Public Lands Rule. Finalized in 2024, the rule put conservation, ecosystem restoration, and public access on equal footing with extractive uses like mining, drilling, and grazing, following through on the principle of “multiple use” as intended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ([link removed]) . “Westerners have once again spoken with one voice in support of our public lands,” said CWP's Deputy Director Aaron Weiss ([link removed]) .

* The Trump administration has proposed four new rules ([link removed]) designed to significantly limit protections under the Endangered Species Act, reversing some regulations set during the Biden administration. The rules aim to clear the way ([link removed]) for increased oil drilling, logging, and mining in critical habitats. One of the most contentious changes would allow the government to assess economic factors ([link removed]) , such as lost revenue from development bans, before deciding whether to list a species. This directly conflicts with the ESA, which requires listing decisions to be based solely on the best available science. The proposals would also make it harder to protect species
from future threats ([link removed]) , like climate change, and replace the "4(d) rule," which gives threatened species the same level of protection as those designated as endangered.


** What to watch for in December:
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* Now that the November 11 deadline has passed, will Colorado River Basin states reach an agreement before the federal government takes over the negotiations?
* Will BLM director nominee Steve Pearce get a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee?
* Will Doug Burgum try to fire more public servants and land managers before the holidays?

From the Center for Western Priorities:
[link removed]


** Seven times “Sell-off Steve” tried to dispose of America’s public lands ([link removed])
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Trump’s nominee for BLM director is a long-time supporter of the administration’s goal to privatize public lands

[link removed]


** Trump’s new pick to run the BLM has a history of working to sell off public land ([link removed])
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In Congress, Steve Pearce supported bills to privatize public land, gut the Antiquities Act, prioritize oil and gas drilling, and weaken the Endangered Species Act

[link removed]

In this episode ([link removed]) of The Landscape, Aaron and Kate discuss the Trump administration’s plan to roll back oil and gas bonding rates designed to protect American taxpayers from the cleanup costs of abandoned wells. The episode features insights from David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship ([link removed]) . His group recently released a report finding the Trump’s roll back could saddle taxpayers with over $750 billion ([link removed]) in potential financial liabilities.
[link removed]

Hosts Aaron Weiss and Kate Groetzinger speak with ([link removed]) Land Desk author and public lands expert Jonathan Thompson about whether the current uranium hype signifies a boom or a bubble. We explore the history of uranium production, the complications of mining on public lands, and the environmental and economic implications of revival efforts. Additionally, we discuss recently fast-tracked mining permits under the Trump administration and the future of small modular reactors as potential power sources.
Best Reads of the Month


** Minnesota nears deal to sell 80,000 acres of Boundary Waters land to Forest Service
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Minnesota Star Tribune ([link removed])


** They retired from the government. Now they’re back, protecting forests Trump abandoned
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** Column: Congress is about to create legal chaos on public lands
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Wes Siler's Newsletter ([link removed])


** Inside Tribes’ never-ending battle to protect subsistence fishing in Alaska
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Native American Rights Fund ([link removed])


** Trump's pick to manage BLM notoriously hellbent on selling public lands
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SFGate ([link removed])


** Report: Trump cuts to national parks are unpopular
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National Parks Conservation Association ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])


** Americans overwhelmingly oppose repeal of Public Lands Rule
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E&E News ([link removed]) | Colorado Newsline ([link removed]) | Center for Western Priorities ([link removed]) [analysis]


** Opinion: What happens to our parks when rangers disappear?
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Writers on the Range ([link removed])


** Vandals left graffiti near an iconic landmark in Arches National Park
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Outside ([link removed]) | Axios ([link removed])


** Trump cuts have hindered key wildfire prevention efforts
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Washington Post ([link removed])


**
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Quote of the month


** “[Steve] Pearce’s entire political career has been dedicated to blocking Americans’ access to public lands while giving the oil and gas industry free rein to drill and frack anywhere they wanted.”
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** —Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala, SFGate ([link removed])
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Picture this
[link removed]

@USFWS ([link removed])
Incredible aurora borealis last week, as seen from Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Idaho!

USFWS photo: Raven Patrick

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