SPORTSMEN ON THE PUBLIC-LANDS DEFENSIVE
In a legislative season full of threats to public lands at the state and federal level, hook-and-bullet groups have mobilized to fight for the landscapes they value. Having convinced Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, to withdraw support for public lands transfer bill HR 621, opponents of the legislation are working to oppose the companion bill, HR 622, the Local Enforcement for Local Lands Act. If passed, it would hand law enforcement responsibilities on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands to local police. Hunters and anglers fear that would make federal lands more vulnerable to abuse — and set the stage for potential land transfers. –Rebecca Worby
—Waleed Abdalati, director of the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a joint program with NOAA, explaining NOAA’s work and how it impacts Westerners. –Maya L. Kapoor
10 MILLION: number of California residents who were born outside of the United States
1 in 10: number of workers in the statewho don’t have documents needed to work legally
65 PERCENT of California adults polled who say the state should have its own laws that protect the rights of undocumented immigrants
In early February, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested more than 160 people in Los Angeles during a sweep. The raid pre-empted legislation that would prevent California law enforcement from having to share information with ICE agents. The raids are having a chilling effect on a burgeoning group of young activists: California’s Dreamers, unauthorized immigrant children and students protected under a tenuous Obama administration executive order. “I have such a huge sense of despair these days,” Karen Zapien, an activist, said. The sweep also signaled what was yet to come: an executive memo weeks later that has made all undocumented immigrants vulnerable to deportation. –Ruxandra Guidi
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