Defend Your Ground

In the latest episode of the Defend Your Ground Podcast, Will Harris was our special guest. Will has been one of the key players in correcting the scientific record about the dust emissions - or lack thereof - at Oceano Dunes. Agencies often rely on limited scientific findings to pass sweeping policy changes, and this results in false narratives that become very difficult to uproot. We encourage everyone to listen to this episode to learn the truth about dust pollution and Oceano Dunes.

From the show: Here is the link to the SLOAPCD Board, where web-viewing of SLOAPCD Board meetings can be accessed. Their next meeting is September 27, 2023 at 9AM. The agenda for this meeting has not been posted yet, but Scripps' Dr. Lynn Russell will be making a presentation regarding her PM10 investigation at Oceano Dunes and Nipomo Mesa.

We encourage everyone to voice the concern that we need to stop using false scientific narratives to justify closing recreation access to public lands.

https://www.slocleanair.org/who/board/meeting-minutes.php

We also encourage everyone to support Friends of Oceano Dunes in their legal fight to keep Oceano Dunes open for motorized recreation:

http://OCEANODUNES.org

Congress needs to defund the monument planners for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. You can notify your member of Congress here: https://www.sharetrails.org/defund-the-bureau-of-land-management-national-monument-planners/

Everyone needs to add their voice to the Kootenai Forest snowmobile plan: https://www.sharetrails.org/action-alert-kootenai-over-snow-vehicle-plan/

Today President Biden is abusing his Antiquities Act authority to create 1.1 million acre national monument in Arizona called the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. This 30x30 land grab will lock the American people out from enjoying the benefits of these public lands. In this episode we discuss the problems with this monument, we discuss our legal challenge to the continued abuse of the Antiquities Act, and we share examples of how National Monuments are terrible for the lands they are allegedly created to protect.

The National Park Service is re-evaluating their rule to allow e-bikes in national parks. After listening to the show, you can add your voice to the process here:

Make a Public Comment on the Plan

Western Idaho is undergoing travel management, which designates routes in the area of Canyonlands East in Owyhee County. This is the Fossil Butte and Grandview areas. The project area is 815, 677 acres. Known for off roading, single track, camping and access to rivers and lakes, the BLM is analyzing the majority of the routes in this area.

Add your voice here: https://www.sharetrails.org/canyonlands-east-in-owyhee-idaho-travel-management/

Senator Wyden of Oregon has proposed a bill which will designate 1,134,292 acres as Wilderness completely restricted from motorized and mechanized use in the south eastern corner of Oregon and into Idaho. That is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. This area already sees large amounts of wildfires and restrictive management will only exacerbate this issue. The resources they claim to want to protect are the most threatened because of wildfires.

Known for overlanding, off-roading, single track use and many forms of recreation this bill would be catastrophic to the current and future users and communities of this area.

Add your voice here: https://www.sharetrails.org/oppose-the-owyhee-wilderness-in-eastern-oregon-and-western-idaho/

We reviewed the public records for comments that have been submitted for the BLM conservation rule that will sell our public lands to the highest bidder, and we found some hidden gems among the 150,000 comments already submitted. In this episode we read and discuss what advocates for the rule are saying. If you don't add your voice to the process, these are the comments the Bureau of Land Management will listen to.

Add your voice here: https://www.sharetrails.org/blm-proposed-rule-to-sell-public-land-to-highest-bidder/

Former Secretary of the Department of the Interior Joins the Defend Your Ground Podcast to discuss his new book: You Report to Me.

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/You-Report-Me-Accountability-Administrative/dp/1641773308/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2HUMH3R0CUYEQ&keywords=you+report+to+me&qid=1685050820&sprefix=%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-1

In the podcast we discuss ways the public can hold the administrative state accountable, and Secretary Bernhardt shares several of his experiences working as a member of President Trump's cabinet. You won't want to miss this great discussion with one of our nation's most influential leaders of our public land system.

The Lolo National Forest in Montana is recommending more wilderness designations in their upcoming forest plan. We talk about why you should oppose this. 

The Bureau of Land Management recently proposed a new rule to prioritize conservation on BLM lands. The United States Forest Service released a companion rule that raises questions about what exactly the forest should be prioritizing as the forests they manage are increasingly burning up in catastrophic wildfires.

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You can comment on the Proposed Conservation Rule here: 

https://www.sharetrails.org/forest-service-proposed-rule-to-prioritize-conservation-instead-of-management/

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You can oppose new wilderness in the Lolo National Forest here: 

https://www.sharetrails.org/lolo-forest-wilderness-designations/#/116/

The deeper we dive into the Bureau of Land Management's Public Land Rule to sell "conservation leases" on public land, the more problems we are finding.

1. They don't have authority to create this rule

All public land stakeholders should unite to oppose this plan.

You can add your voice to oppose this rule here: https://www.sharetrails.org/blm-proposed-rule-to-sell-public-land-to-highest-bidder/#/112/

Lawsuits have been filed to challenge the USFS use of fire retardant dropped from aircraft to fight wildfires. In this episode we discuss the merits of this challenge and what BRC is doing to advocate for better forest management.

In the second half of the episode we discuss the Upper Snake River Travel Plan that is open for public comment in Eastern Idaho. You can add your voice to the comment period until July 10, 2023 here: https://www.sharetrails.org/upper-snake-blm-area-in-idaho-slated-for-numerous-road-closures/