On this episode of The Landscape, Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and CWP Director of Campaigns and Special Projects Lauren Bogard join Aaron and Kate to go over the past year in public lands. From the passage of the largest climate bill in U.S. history (which includes major oil and gas leasing reforms) to a new national monument to the launch of a new conservation funding program, 2022 was a big year for public lands. The CWP team talks about what all of these developments mean and how they will continue playing out in 2023.

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

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Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Aaron Weiss/Center for Western Priorities

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Renowned nature photographer Pete McBride joins Aaron and CWP’s Director of Campaigns and Special Projects Lauren Bogard on the pod to discuss his work documenting the Colorado River.

Pete is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer who has been to more than 75 countries on assignment for clients ranging from the National Geographic Society to the Smithsonian. After a decade documenting expeditions from Everest to Antarctica, he turned his cameras to his own backyard—the Colorado River—which turned into a book, three documentaries, and a PBS show. His National Geographic Channel documentary “Into the Grand Canyon” was nominated for an Emmy in 2020.

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

Feedback: [email protected]

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Ken Lund/Flickr

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CWP Executive Director Jennifer Rokala and Colorado-based political consultant Curtis Hubbard join Aaron to break down the 2022 election results and what they mean for public lands across the West.

Producer: Aaron Weiss
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: @POTUS

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This week on The Landscape, Aaron and Kate talk to forest scientists Megan Cattau and Nayani Ilangakoon to find out what’s up in the world of wildfire risk reduction and forest recovery. Specifically, they ask about the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to plant a billion trees over the next decade, as well as how climate change is affecting forest recovery after wildfires.

Megan Cattau is an assistant professor of human-environment systems at Boise State University, who uses geospatial techniques on large datasets to explore patterns of forest disturbance and recovery. Nayani Ilangakoon is a postdoctoral associate at University of Colorado Boulder’s EARTH LAB, who uses remote sensing technology to research the post-fire recovery of Western conifer forests. 

• Prescribed Burns Are Encouraged. Why Was a Federal Employee Arrested for One? – New York Times
• US to plant 1 billion trees as climate change kills forests – Associated Press
• U.S. Taking Emergency Steps to Protect Sequoias From Wildfires – New York Times
• The Unconventional Weapon Against Future Wildfires: Goats – New York Times
• Wild Horses Could Keep Wildfire At Bay – NPR
• Could ‘Smokey Beaver’ help fight wildfires? – OPB
• Feds want the ability to cut back on Colorado River reservoir releases over the next two years – KUNC

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

Feedback: [email protected]

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: U.S. Forest Service

The post What the science says about national forest management appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Author and outdoors enthusiast McKenzie Long joins Aaron and Kate to chat about her new book, This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments. The book is an exploration of national monuments—why they matter, what it takes to create them, and how they impact nearby communities. McKenzie visited 13 national monuments across the country for the book, interviewing locals in some, while setting out on solo adventures in others.

Kate and Aaron also discuss the designation of Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, and Aaron shares some reflections on his experience attending the signing ceremony for President Biden’s first national monument.

• President Joe Biden declares Camp Hale a national monument — Colorado Public Radio
• Winning the West: Escape (extended version) — Center for Western Priorities
• Garamendi, Padilla call upon president to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain monument —The Vacaville Reporter
• Purchase This Contested Land — University of Minnesota Press

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

Feedback: [email protected]

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Courtesy of Aaron Weiss

The post What makes national monuments special? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

University of Utah law professor Jamie Pleune joins Kate and Aaron on the Landscape to talk about the National Environmental Policy Act and permitting reform. Pleune and her colleagues analyzed over 40,000 Forest Service NEPA decisions to determine the mean and median time it takes to complete reviews, as well as what causes the majority of delays in permitting. She says that striving for efficient NEPA decisions is a good goal—but setting arbitrary deadlines for major projects may not be the best way to get there. 

• Overdue reform or underhanded deal? Here’s what’s in Manchin’s permitting bill. — Grist
• Manchin’s permitting overhaul: Not dead yet — E&E News
• As Congress splits over Sen. Manchin’s permitting reform bill, Utah scholars ask lawmakers to look at the data — Salt Lake Tribune

• Evidence-Based Recommendations for Improving National Environmental Policy Act Implementation
• Playing the Long Game: Expediting Permitting Without Compromising Protections

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

Feedback: [email protected]

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Varistor60/Wikimedia Commons

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Just in time for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 24, a conversation with Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation. VVF is one of the groups sponsoring a hike and rally for the proposed Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument on Saturday.

• Manchin’s permitting bill sets up clash over government funding
• National Park Service calls for more shared stewardship with Indigenous communities

• Uranium at the Grand Canyon and Bears Ears [2018]
• It’s time to ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon [YouTube]

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

Feedback: [email protected]

Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Camp Hale by Mason Cummings, The Wilderness Society

The post Is Camp Hale our next national monument? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge would protect around 340,000 acres southeast of Los Angeles in southern California, helping preserve habitat for around 150 native species—over 30 of which are endangered—as well as green space for the county’s largely Latino population.

Riverside County is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the country, with housing and development replacing agricultural fields and open space every day. That means the county’s residents are quickly losing access to nature. The refuge would help preserve and restore green space close to underprivileged communities, giving residents a safe and educational way to get outside.

Hear more about the proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge from Brenda Gallegos and Juan Rosas of the Hispanic Access Foundation, which is involved in pushing for the establishment of the refuge. Juan is a pastor and lifelong resident of Riverside County, who speaks about how having accessible green space would impact his community as well as the importance of conserving and restoring native plant and animal species. Brenda works on California’s 30×30 initiative and speaks about how the refuge proposal got started.

Please see our previous episode for an interview in English between Brenda and Juan. 

Utah files suit challenging Biden’s monument restoration – Salt Lake Tribune

New Wildlife Refuge in Southern California Would Promise Equitable Access to Disappearing Nature – Defenders of Wildlife

Feinstein, Padilla Introduce Bill to Create Wildlife Refuge in Riverside County – Office of Dianne Feinstein

Secretary Haaland Meets with Tribal, Local Leaders Regarding Conservation Efforts in Southern Nevada – Interior Department

Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: [email protected]
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Courtesy Brenda Gallegos/Hispanic Access Foundation

The post BONUS: Closing the Nature Gap in Southern California (en español) appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

The proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge would protect around 340,000 acres southeast of Los Angeles in southern California, helping preserve habitat for around 150 native species—over 30 of which are endangered—as well as green space for the county’s largely Latino population. 

Riverside County is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the country, with housing and development replacing agricultural fields and open space every day. That means the county’s residents are quickly losing access to nature. The refuge would help preserve and restore green space close to underprivileged communities, giving residents a safe and educational way to get outside.

Hear more about the proposed Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge from Brenda Gallegos and Juan Rosas of the Hispanic Access Foundation, which is involved in pushing for the establishment of the refuge. Juan is a pastor and lifelong resident of Riverside County, who speaks about how having accessible green space would impact his community as well as the importance of conserving and restoring native plant and animal species. Brenda works on California’s 30×30 initiative and speaks about how the refuge proposal got started.

Please see our bonus episode for an interview in Spanish between Brenda and Juan. 

Utah files suit challenging Biden’s monument restoration – Salt Lake Tribune

New Wildlife Refuge in Southern California Would Promise Equitable Access to Disappearing Nature – Defenders of Wildlife

Feinstein, Padilla Introduce Bill to Create Wildlife Refuge in Riverside County – Office of Dianne Feinstein

Secretary Haaland Meets with Tribal, Local Leaders Regarding Conservation Efforts in Southern Nevada – Interior Department

Hosts: Aaron Weiss & Kate Groetzinger
Feedback: [email protected]
Music: Purple Planet
Photo: Courtesy Brenda Gallegos/Hispanic Access Foundation

The post Closing the Nature Gap in Southern California appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.