The Landscape

Aaron and Kate are joined by Laura Peterson, staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, to talk about the Bureau of Land Management’s recently finalized Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan. The plan will guide land management decisions for a 300,000-acre landscape to the north of Moab for years to come, and will help protect cultural sites, riparian habitat, and the experience of non-motorized recreationists while allowing for motorized recreation on more than 800 miles of dirt trails and routes. News BLM Releases Plan that Finally Protects Labyrinth Canyon and Surrounding Public Lands – Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Bennet, Senate Colleagues Push to Modernize Oil and Gas Bonding Requirements on Public Lands – Office of Michael Bennet The state of tribal co-management of public lands – High Country News Cox calls BLM decision to close Moab off-roading routes ‘blatant federal overreach’ as state files legal challenge – Deseret News Map of Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan – Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance The post Balancing trails, wilderness, and ATV’s in Moab’s backcountry appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The podcast explores the Conservation Toolbox report, highlighting federal land protection tools like National Parks and wildlife corridors. It discusses the challenges of comparing conservation tools and emphasizes the importance of understanding diverse management approaches. The episode also covers the economic significance of recreation on public lands and efforts to protect the Wyoming Toad habitat.

Kate and Aaron are joined by Tim Davis, founder and executive director of Friends of the Owyhee, and Karly Foster, campaign manager at the Oregon Natural Desert Association, to talk about how we can better protect the Owyhee Canyonlands. The Owyhee Canyonlands span from southeast Oregon into southwest Idaho, and it is one of the most remote, intact landscapes in the Western U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is running a bill that would help balance extractive uses and conservation in the landscape, and the coalition working to protect the Owyhee just launched a campaign asking President Joe Biden to designate the region as a monument, as well. News Conservation Toolbox – Center for Western Priorities Repeat offender spills oil in Grand Staircase-Escalante – Salt Lake Tribune U.S. oil production up, despite changes to federal leasing system – Look West New National Wildlife Refuges in Wyoming and Tennessee – USFWS Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: BLM/Flickr The post Protecting the wild, vast Owyhee Canyonlands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by Alan Zibel with Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group focused on the influence of big business in government, and Nichole Heil with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a watchdog group focused on bringing transparency and accountability to the private equity sector, to talk about a report they co-authored. The report, Private Profits, Public Risks, looks into how Wall Street—or private equity—firms are funding new drilling on public land and threatening to leave taxpayers with a massive clean up bill. News What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for National Parks – National Parks Conservation Association Barrasso wants Haaland to keep parks open during shutdown – E&E News As government shutdown looms, Cox says state plans to keep national parks open – KUTV Gov. Katie Hobbs says Grand Canyon to remain open if federal government shuts down – Arizona Republic Monument protection sought for Owyhee Canyonlands – East Oregonian Joshua Tree National Park expansion gains momentum with Chuckwalla National Monument plan – Desert Sun Analysis: Public comments overwhelmingly support BLM Oil and Gas Rule – Center for Western Priorities Taking stock of the Biden administration’s oil and gas reforms – Westwise Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: BLM/Flickr The post The problem with Wall Street getting into public lands drilling appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Ben Goldfarb discusses the impact of roads on wildlife, highlighting how roads shape our planet. He explores the evolution of wildlife crossings, the complex relationship between roads and wildlife, and the role of citizen science in road ecology.

Kate and Aaron are joined by pollster Lindsay Vermeyen, senior vice president at Benenson Strategy Group, and Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala to dig into the results of our 2023 Winning the West poll. Spoiler alert: Western voters really love public lands, and they want to see them protected. Kate and Aaron also recap some of the great public lands and conservation news that came out in August. News Winning the West 2023 poll results – Center for Western Priorities Biden proposes vast new marine sanctuary in partnership with California tribe – NPR Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary film – Center for Western Priorities August was a great month for public lands – Westwise Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Center for Western Priorities The post Digging into our 2023 Winning the West poll results appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Aaron and Kate are joined by I Ling Thompson, vice president of strategy and engagement at the Trust for Public Land, to discuss a new report from the Trust called the Power of Parks to Promote Health. The report looks at the myriad ways urban parks improve human and environmental health, as well as how cities and park managers can ensure parks are used to their full potential. Thompson also touches on how new parks are funded and how the construction of new parks can benefit low income communities without displacing them. News I Ling Thompson Selected As Inaugural CEO Of The Foundation For America’s Public Lands – Foundation For America’s Public Lands Federal appeals court derails Uinta Basin Railway plan to send billions more gallons of Utah crude through Colorado – Colorado Sun Power of Parks to Promote Health – Trust for Public Land ParkScore – Trust for Public Land Court dismisses challenge to Biden’s restoration of Utah monuments shrunk by Trump – Associated Press The Antiquities Act and America’s national monuments: Frequently Asked Questions – Aaron Weiss Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, Utah; Geoff Alexander, Flickr   The post How urban parks improve public health appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Guests from the Havasupai Tribe share their deep cultural ties to the Grand Canyon and the urgent need to protect its surroundings. They discuss the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, aimed at preserving their ancestral lands amid environmental threats like uranium mining. With personal stories interwoven, they highlight the spiritual significance of sites like Red Butte and emphasize the importance of tribal collaboration in safeguarding vital water sources for future generations.

The Bureau of Land Management just proposed a rule that would essentially codify the oil and gas reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act as well as make a few other important changes to the federal leasing program. The proposed rule would fundamentally change the way oil and gas leasing occurs on public lands, putting the federal government in the driver’s seat instead of the oil and gas companies that have driven the process for far too long. Kate and Aaron are joined by Taxpayers for Common Sense Vice President Autumn Hanna and Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Rachael Hamby to talk about it. News Interior Department Takes Steps to Modernize Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Lands, Ensure Fair Return to Taxpayers – Interior Department Taking stock of the Biden administration’s oil and gas reforms – Westwise Zero Bids in Latest Oil & Gas Lease Sale of 2023 – Taxpayers for Common Sense President Biden Designates Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument – White House Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: BLM California/Flickr The post New oil and gas rule just dropped. What’s in it? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Lori Faeth, senior director of government relations at the Land Trust Alliance, shares her expertise on the Farm Bill and its crucial role in private land conservation. She discusses how the Farm Bill stands as the largest federal funding source for these initiatives. Lori highlights the importance of conservation easements in preserving farmland while keeping it within landowners' hands. The conversation also touches on the vital lobbying efforts to ensure conservation remains a priority in legislation and the continuing challenges faced by advocates in the political landscape.