The Landscape

Kate and Aaron are joined by Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage, a project of the Earth Island Institute, to talk about the Biden administration’s efforts to protect old growth and mature forests. They also touch on reducing wildfire risk through forest management. Dr. DellaSala is the author of over 300 science papers on forest and fire ecology, conservation biology, endangered species management, and landscape ecology. News California Congress members call for expansion of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument – Los Angeles Times Clarence Thomas Wants to Demolish Indian Law – The New Republic U.S. has inventoried old-growth forests. Will protection be next? – Washington Post Federal powers seek compromise on protections for Oregon’s Owyhee – Oregon Public Broadcasting Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Western Hemlock, USDA The post What’s going on with old growth forests? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by James Kenna, a 40-year Interior Department veteran who wore a number of hats over his decades of public service, including a stint as the California state director at Bureau of Land Management. That gave him a front row seat to land management decisions that would shape America’s energy future. Now he’s weighing in on one of the most important proposals to come from the Biden administration: the public lands rule that would put conservation on equal footing with mining, drilling, grazing, and other uses of federal lands. Submit a comment on the BLM’s proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule Learn more about the BLM’s proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule News Protest at Chaco Canyon deters event to celebrate new federal oil and gas leasing ban – Source NM All Pueblo Council of Governors statement on events at Chaco – All Pueblo Council of Governors Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3397 – House Natural Resources Committee Approval for Idaho phosphate mine reversed after judge rules US didn’t assess prairie bird impact – Associated Press Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Pecos River drainage, Bureau of Land Management/Flickr The post A BLM veteran weighs in on the agency’s proposed conservation leasing rule appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The podcast discusses the legacy of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, including his impact on civil rights, conservation efforts, and advocacy for downwinders and uranium miners. It explores his bipartisan successes, climate advocacy, and ability to bridge political divides, highlighting the significance of his conservation work.

Aaron and Kate are joined by Grace Wu, an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, to talk about her research on balancing renewable energy development and conservation in the West. The study examined the potential habitat loss and land use impacts of developing the complete set of onshore wind, offshore wind, large-scale solar, distributed solar, transmission, and bioenergy resources needed to reach economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 for the 11 western US states. News Minimizing habitat conflicts in meeting net-zero energy targets in the western United States – PNAS Breaking down the”breakthrough” Colorado River deal – Land Desk Public lands rule information – Bureau of Land Management USGS rejects push to make copper a ‘critical’ mineral – E&E News Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Bureau of Land Management/Flickr The post Can renewable energy and conservation coexist? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Discussion on the impacts of climate change on the Rio Grande River, White House involvement in mining law reform, exploration of the river's different conditions and water management challenges, difficulties in photographing drought, and preservation efforts to protect the river's ecology and resources.

Alli Henderson, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, and Blaine Miller-McFeeley, a senior legislative representative at Earthjustice, dive into the alarming Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. They discuss how this bill threatens public lands and prioritizes mining over environmental protections. The duo unveils the troubling political motivations behind the legislation and its implications for clean energy. They also highlight the urgent need for reform, better standards, and public advocacy to safeguard vulnerable communities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by clean energy consultant Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies LLC, to talk about the need to ramp up renewable transmission capacity in the U.S. Gramlich tells us what the Inflation Reduction Act did and didn’t do when it comes to transmission, as well as how Congress can incentivize the construction of transmission lines to meet the growing need—without weakening America’s bedrock environmental laws. News Manchin to reintroduce permitting bill, hold hearing – E&E News Tribes Propose New Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument – Grand Canyon Trust It’s time to ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon – Center for Western Priorities As ExxonMobil Dismisses Drilling in Arctic Refuge, Locals Say ‘Congress Must Act’ – Common Dreams Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Chris Hunkeler, Flickr The post What’s really holding up renewable energy transmission construction appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Nse Witherspoon, executive director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and Mark Magaña, founder and CEO of GreenLatinos, lead a discussion on making conservation more equitable. They highlight the America the Beautiful for All Coalition's efforts to ensure marginalized communities benefit from conservation. Key topics include the 2023 Farm Bill's role in linking agriculture and sustainability, and the need for diverse voices in conservation initiatives. They stress the importance of community engagement and breaking down silos for better environmental justice.

The announcement of two new national monuments formed the centerpiece of the White House Conservation in Action Summit on March 21, 2023. Biden designated Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range national monuments using his authority under the Antiquities Act, protecting over half a million acres in perpetuity. Center for Western Priorities Campaigns and Special Projects Director Lauren Bogard and Executive Director Jen Rokala join Kate to talk about the new monuments and what made the campaigns to protect both Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range so successful. News President Biden Designates Avi Kwa Ame National Monument – White House President Biden Designates Castner Range National Monument – White House Road to 30: Postcards. – Center for Western Priorities Monuments to America’s Past – Center for Western Priorities Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet (Featured image: Castner Range in bloom, Mark Clune) The post Biden designates two new national monuments appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Exploring the intertwined histories of Arizona and Arabia in desert agriculture, the controversial export of Arizona's groundwater to Saudi Arabia, the ambitious yet failed Biosphere 2 project, and the current water crisis in the Colorado River basin with impending cuts and desalination deals.