The Landscape

Kate and Aaron nerd out with John Ruple, public lands professor at the University of Utah and a former member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) about recent changes to how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is being implemented across federal agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. News Trump’s new goal: Revive a major climate pollutant that power markets have turned against – Politico Trump administration rolls back forest protections in bid to ramp up logging – Associated Press Trump nominee for public lands post withdraws after her criticism of Jan. 6 attack surfaces – Associated Press Federal judge orders immediate thaw of climate, infrastructure funds – Politico Resources Subscribe to Look West Episode transcript (to come) Email us at podcast@westernpriorities.org Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Logging in national forest; USFS The post How the White House is making federal permitting less efficient appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron talk to two experts about recent executive orders that negatively affect public lands. Mitch Friedman, founder and executive director of Conservation Northwest, talks about how Trump’s executive order aimed at increasing logging in national forests squares with existing law and forest management plans, while Rachael Hamby, policy director at the Center for Western Priorities, covers Trump’s recent order seeking to ramp up mining on public lands. News Republicans weigh sales of public land in reconciliation – E&E News Anti-public lands bills take hits in Legislature – Missoula Current Resources Subscribe to Look West Episode transcript (to come) Email us at podcast@westernpriorities.org Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: The White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, USA; weesam2010/Flickr The post Unpacking Trump’s mining and timber EOs appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by Jimmy Tobias, a public lands reporter and contributor to the Public Domain substack, and Jacob Malcom, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Environmental Management at the Interior Department, to talk about Elon Musk’s attacks on the Interior Department and its employees. Jimmy has been covering changes inside Interior since President Donald Trump took office, and Jacob chose to leave his job at the Interior Department last month in response to the mass firings and changes implemented by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. News Trump Executive Order Streamlines Mining Permits. Environmentalists Fear What Comes Next – Inside Climate News Interior, HUD to offer federal lands to build affordable housing – E&E News Plan to Sell Off ‘Underutilized’ Federal Land for Affordable Housing Is Ineffective and Inefficient, Experts Say – Outdoor Life Federal appeals court sides with corner-crossing hunters in Wyoming dispute – Montana Free Press Resources Subscribe to Public Domain  Episode transcript Email us at podcast@westernpriorities.org Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Interior Dept/Wikimedia Commons   The post How Elon Musk is trying to dismantle the Interior department appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

This week, we take a break from bad news to talk about what nature does to your brain. Kate and Aaron speak to author Florence Williams about her book, The Nature Fix, which came out in 2017 but is just as relevant today. Her book looks at the science behind why nature makes us feel happier, healthier, and more connected to humanity. Qualities we could all probably use a bit more of these days. News Trump orders swathes of US forests to be cut down for timber – The Guardian Labor board temporarily reinstates laid-off Forest Service workers’ employment – Montana Free Press Trump seeks minerals refining on Pentagon bases to boost US output – Reuters Trump, Musk Plan to Shutter Interior Offices Nationwide, Devastating Local Economies and Abandoning Tribes – Natural Resources Committee Democrats Elon Musk’s $1 Spending Limit Is Paralyzing Federal Agencies – Wired Trump just weakened one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws – Washington Post Supreme Court rejects red states’ bid to quash climate cases – E&E News Resources Subscribe to Look West Episode transcript Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Young tots and caregivers take a walk through a green forest looking for treasures. Photo by D. Coble, BLM Alaska    The post How nature makes us feel happier, healthier, and more connected to humanity appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Aaron and Kate break down the results of Colorado College’s annual State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll with pollsters Lori Weigell and Dave Metz. The poll found that voters in the West support preserving and protecting public lands more than ever before in the poll’s 15-year history. That’s right—just as President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are working to open up public lands for unfettered drilling and mining—majorities of Western voters, including Republicans, are saying “We want those lands protected.” (The poll was conducted in eight Western states January 3-17, 2025.)  News ‘MAGA’ voters in the West still support federal management of public lands, poll finds – CPR Poll finds majority of Westerners support climate action and conservation – High Country News Mountain West voters overwhelmingly oppose federal public lands funding cuts, poll finds – Colorado Politics Resources 2025 State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll results – Colorado College Western voters reject anti-public land policies – Westwise Trump’s pick to run the BLM can’t be trusted. Here’s why – Westwise Episode transcript  Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Family hike at Zapata Falls; Photo by Allison Miller, BLM The post Western voters reject Trump agenda on public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Kate and Aaron are joined by Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and Mitch Flanigan, a former ranger at Denali National Park, to talk about recent firings across Interior department agencies, including the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Managment, as well as at the U.S. Forest Service. Prior to joining PEER, Tim was a senior attorney at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Mitch recently lost his job as the assistant manager of Denali National Park’s sled-dog kennel. News Trump’s firing of 1,000 national park workers raises concerns about maintenance and operating hours – Associated Press Valentine’s Day massacre: Uncounted throng of Wyomingites fired by Trump administration – WyoFile Senate kills resolution demanding takeover of federal land in Wyoming – WyoFile Resources Learn more about PEER  Ask Lawmakers to Reverse Staffing Cuts at Land Management Agencies Episode transcript Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Sled dog demo at Denali National Park, National Parks Gallery  The post Layoffs at Interior are causing chaos and heartbreak appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Aaron and Kate are joined by Mark Squillace, natural resources law professor at the University of Colorado Law School. Professor Squillace provided legal counsel to the Interior Department under President Bill Clinton and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, and he’s a two-time veteran of this podcast. Today, we discuss the legality of President Trump’s executive orders on public lands, including which are likely to end up in court and whether the Trump administration will have the manpower to implement these orders, after making sweeping layoffs. News Senate confirms Trump’s pick to lead his ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda – Washington Post Judge tosses legal challenge to Biden’s Arizona national monument – E&E News Resources Sign up for Look West – Center for Western Priorities Episode transcript Credits Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss  Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org Music: Purple Planet Featured image: Long Canyon, Burr Trail, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah; Ken Lund/Flickr The post Can President Trump even do that? Public lands edition appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Drew McConville, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and an expert on public lands and energy, joins the conversation to unpack the immediate impacts of Trump's executive orders on the environment. He discusses the prioritization of fossil fuels over conservation, especially in relation to Alaska's ecosystems. The implications for indigenous communities and wildlife protections are alarming. Additionally, the episode highlights the potential dangers of rolling back environmental regulations and the complexities of nuclear waste management in local communities.

Lauren Bogard and Sterling Homard from the Center for Western Priorities dive into President Biden's conservation record, shedding light on his noteworthy achievements in public land protection. They discuss the implications of Doug Burgum's nomination as Interior Secretary, alongside legislative threats to the Antiquities Act. The duo highlights Biden's proactive initiatives, including new national monuments and advancements in renewable energy on public lands. They also explore public sentiment against changes to national monument designations and reflect on the future of conservation amidst political challenges.

In this discussion, Alan Zibel, a research director at Public Citizen specializing in energy and environmental issues, delves into the implications of Trump's 'energy dominance' agenda for public lands. He highlights the U.S. as a leader in natural gas exports and critiques the environmental consequences of excess production. Zibel explores the political ties between energy policies and industry interests, raising questions about the motivations behind them. Additionally, he addresses Biden's new conservation efforts and the ongoing controversies surrounding energy regulation.