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westernpriorities.org
Center for Western Priorities
@westernpriorities.org
810 followers 170 following 390 posts
Standing up for America's public lands since 2012.
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westernpriorities.org
Mike Lee is once again trying to sell off your #publiclands

learn more about his latest attempt in our statement: westernpriorities.org/2025/12/stat...
Statement on Sen. Mike Lee proposal to allow selling off national parks - Center for Western Priorities
"...complete disregard for the fact that national parks, trails, and recreation areas fuel local economies across the West."
westernpriorities.org
December 18, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
vivarioarriba.bsky.social
Big Methane Mad Man TY! to Kate & Aaron of @westernpriorities.org for inviting us all on the Landscape to talk abt oil & gas' devastating impacts in New Mexico...

thanks for giving us all a chance to speak the truth on behalf of frontline families everywhere.

westernpriorities.org/2025/12/the-...
The dirty truth about oil and gas drilling in New Mexico - Center for Western Priorities
On this episode of the Landscape, Kate and Aaron are joined by filmmaker Annie Ersinghaus, rancher Don Schreiber, and Gail Evans, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, to talk about th...
westernpriorities.org
December 5, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
hickenlooper.senate.gov
If it walks like a duck… 

Steve Pearce has advocated for selling off our public lands. He should be nowhere near the Bureau of Land Management, the agency that oversees our federal lands. www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/12/04/c...
Colorado's John Hickenlooper says he'll oppose BLM nominee
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., a member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Thursday he will oppose the nomination of Steve Pearce to be the next director of the Bur...
www.coloradopolitics.com
December 7, 2025 at 12:12 AM
westernpriorities.org
Just found out it's National Cookie Day... 🍪

Happy National Cookie Day to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum aka Secretary Cookies!

Did you make your staff bake you fresh cookies today?

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
December 4, 2025 at 10:48 PM
westernpriorities.org
"Designating these minerals as ‘critical’ paves the way for land use and permitting decisions that will negatively impact Western public lands and wildlife habitats for decades to come."

Read more from our blog, Westwise, now on Substack.

#publiclands
The Trump administration is abusing the critical minerals list. That’s a problem for public lands
On November 7, 2025, the Trump administration published its updated list of critical minerals.
westwise.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:25 PM
westernpriorities.org
"Do Western senators really care about keeping public lands in public hands? Steve Pearce, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management, is a litmus test of their commitment."

— CWP Deputy Director Aaron Weiss, @denverpost.com
Western senators cannot support this Trump nominee who wants to liquidate public lands (Opinion)
Trump’s BLM nominee Steve Pearce’s vision for our public lands is not conservation or even balanced management — it’s liquidation.
www.denverpost.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
westernpriorities.org
Look West: Parks crawl back online after shutdown
mailchi.mp/westernprior...
November 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
westernpriorities.org
"Over his six years [as NM Republican Party chair], Pearce alienated moderates, purged reformers and lost credibility with donors." —
Southwest Public Policy Intitute Director Patrick M. Brenner

#publiclands #stevepearce
Opinion | New Mexico knows Trump’s BLM nominee. Back away.
Former New Mexico Republican chairman Steve Pearce is the opposite of what the complex agency needs.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
westernpriorities.org
We're now on Substack!!

Go subscribe to get CWP's blog, Westwise, straight to your inbox.
Westwise is coming to Substack!
After a decade on Medium, it’s time for Westwise to join the growing public lands conversation here on Substack.
westwise.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:22 PM
westernpriorities.org
Meet Sell-off Steve, Trump's new nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management.

Steve Pearce is an avowed supporter of privatizing public lands and has no business running the agency that manages the majority of them.

#publiclands
Trump’s new pick to run the BLM has a history of working to sell off public land
In Congress, Steve Pearce supported bills to privatize public land, gut the Antiquities Act, prioritize oil and gas drilling, and weaken the Endangered Species Act
westwise.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:20 PM
westernpriorities.org
BREAKING:
In the final hours of the Trump admin's public comment period, a new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities finds 98% of comments oppose the admin's plan to rescind the Public Lands Rule.

#publiclands

Our statement:
westernpriorities.org/2025/11/new-...
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
westernpriorities.org
“Steve Pearce’s nomination is even more proof that President Trump and Interior Secretary Burgum are determined to undermine, sell out, and eventually sell off America’s public lands.” — CWP's Jennifer Rokala in @nmpoliticalreport.bsky.social

#publiclands
Trump nominates former New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce to lead Bureau of Land Management - New Mexico Political Report
President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated former New Mexico Congressman and former Republican Party Chair Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management, selecting a longtime public lands crit...
nmpoliticalreport.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:59 PM
westernpriorities.org
The Trump administration is leveraging the government shutdown to permanently cut public land management staff and to benefit extractive industries

#publiclands #governmentshutdown #nationalparks
What has the government shutdown cost America’s public lands?
The Trump administration is leveraging the government shutdown to permanently cut staff and benefit extractive industries
medium.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:06 PM
westernpriorities.org
BREAKING: Trump nominates former U.S. Rep Steve Pearce of New Mexico to run the Bureau of Land Management.

In Congress, Pearce amassed a lengthy anti-public lands record.

Our statement: westernpriorities.org/2025/11/stat...

#publiclands
November 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM
westernpriorities.org
Secretary Burgum said the quiet part out loud - he and Trump are perfectly happy with how things are going during this shutdown.

This administration doesn't want to provide its citizens or #publiclands with any services.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
October 31, 2025 at 4:24 PM
westernpriorities.org
The Trump administration is rewriting 📷 the stories told by public lands & waters. This erasure is an attempt to undermine the history of America and, in turn, redefine who America is for.

Want to learn more?

via @americanprogress.bsky.social
The Trump Administration Is Erasing American History Told by Public Lands and Waters
Through a series of executive orders targeting place names, signage on, and access to public lands and waters, the Trump administration is erasing important chapters of American history.
www.americanprogress.org
October 28, 2025 at 3:55 PM
westernpriorities.org
BREAKING: In a court filing this morning, the Interior department told a federal judge it intends to fire more than 2,000 government employees through a reduction in force, or RIF.

Our statement: westernpriorities.org/2025/10/stat...

#publiclands
October 20, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
mvnixon.bsky.social
‘From Utah to China, where in the world could Arizona copper sitting under an Apache holy site go?’

“The American public is just getting screwed here” —

Protect #OakFlat

www.kjzz.org/tribal-natur...
From Utah to China, where in the world could Arizona copper sitting under an Apache holy site go?
Once that critical mineral is dug up, it will leave the Copper State entirely. Despite the six-decade project still not being greenlit, the pair of global mining giants – BHP and Rio Tinto – behind it...
www.kjzz.org
October 20, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
joanmeiners.bsky.social
I'm riding my mountain bike on the 850-mile Arizona Trail this fall to see and write about #climate impacts along the way. We're publishing weekly dispatches from the trail in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com as I go.

The first one just dropped:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
October 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
protectparks.bsky.social
The Bureau of Land Management wants to eliminate the Public Lands Rule, rolling back protections on millions of acres of public lands, including landscapes that border more than 80 national parks.

Take action: support.npca.org/page/89443/p...
Retain the Public Lands Rule
The BLM intends to eliminate the Public Lands Rule, rolling back protections on millions of acres of public lands, including landscapes that border more than 80 national parks. Tell the BLM: conserv...
support.npca.org
October 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
boisestatepublicradio.org
Corner crossing will not have its day in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court justices announced today it will not hear the Wyoming case, which has broad impacts for public land access across the West.
U.S. Supreme Court denies taking on corner crossing case
That means stepping over private land access public land remains legal in some states, including Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
www.boisestatepublicradio.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
westernpriorities.org
"The Interior Department revealed Monday that it plans to eliminate more than 2,000 jobs"

via @eenews.bsky.social

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
E&E News: Interior divulges more details on layoff plans
Newly filed court documents reveal anticipated cuts at the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey and elsewhere across the Interior Department.
subscriber.politicopro.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Center for Western Priorities
protectparks.bsky.social
"This directive to take down signage and webpages undermine park visitors at every turn. Stripping this history and science away strips our national parks of their integrity." - Kristen Brengle, NPCA. https://bit.ly/4pB7wBp
Administration Doubles Down on Erasing History and Silencing Science in National Parks
"NPCA has spent months speaking out against actions that deny the legacies spread across America's parks, battlefields, monuments and historic sites. And we are not backing down." - NPCA's SVP of Gove...
www.npca.org
September 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
westernpriorities.org
BREAKING: The U.S. Senate has voted to pass several Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions targeting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource management plans (RMPs) in Alaska and the western U.S.

Our statement:
westernpriorities.org/2025/10/cong...
October 8, 2025 at 5:08 PM
westernpriorities.org
NEW: Big Oil is back to indiscriminately locking up public land in Utah

The BLM held an oil and gas lease sale in Utah yesterday in which 14 out of 15 parcels, and 94% of the total acreage offered, sold.

Our analysis and statement:
westernpriorities.org/2025/09/big-...
September 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM