New information surfaces about how Idaho, Wyoming and Montana would manage the bears after a delisting this fall.
Department of Interior
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Emotions run high over monument designation in Utah
Battle lines over a proposed Bears Ears monument are blurred, dividing tribes and towns.
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Federal coal leasing needs a major overhaul
The winds of change are blowing hard across our Western coalfields. Competition from cheaper fuels such as natural gas, wind and solar has dampened domestic demand for coal. This trend ‒ plus a bust in export markets after a brief boom ‒ has driven five major coal companies into bankruptcy court. There, they seek protection […]
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Judge strikes down BLM fracking rule
Enviros hope for a successful appeal, but the path could be long and windy.
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Arizona Rep. Grijalva targets extremism on public lands
Dozens of high-profile former federal employees sign a letter urging Congress to address Sagebrush Insurgency threats.
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Protests against drilling on public lands are escalating
In Colorado, another showdown at a government auction for oil and gas leases.
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National Park Service chief expands sexual harassment probe
Upcoming survey to determine if misconduct at the Grand Canyon represents a widespread problem.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
Can a legal victory make Indian Country whole again?
For over a century, federal law has split Native American land holdings into tiny pieces. A settlement unites some of the splinters, but at a steep cost.
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Interior Department waffles on Arctic oil and gas leasing
The federal government is asking Alaska Natives which areas are too sensitive to drill.
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At Malheur, Sally Jewell was missing in action
The secretary of the Interior instead took a trip to Africa to combat wildlife poaching.
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The Bundy bust-up
Charges rain down on militant leaders of Bundy family standoffs in Nevada and Oregon.
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No, federal land transfers are not in the Constitution
Legal scholars debunk arguments about how founding documents support local control of all lands.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
The BLM’s arms race on the range
The agency has armed up since 1978, but it’s still outgunned without local backup.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
The rise of the Sagebrush Sheriffs
How rural ‘constitutional’ peace officers are joining the war against the feds.
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Malheur occupation could set conservation efforts back years
Invasive carp may recolonize areas they were once eradicated from, depending on how long the occupation lasts.
Posted inJanuary 25, 2016: The Forever War
A tale of two BLM mascots
Johnny Horizon and Seymour Antelope show the agency’s changing focus.
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BLM proposes rules for oil and gas methane emissions
The rule will help conserve natural gas and mitigate pollution, targeting 100,000 existing wells.
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Feds announce moratorium on new coal leases
Interior Department will examine the federal coal program in light of climate change.
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Economic downturns fuel Sagebrush Rebellion events
Natural resource-dependent rural economies help explain why disputes happen where they do.
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Former BLM chief: Bundys ‘pursuing an agenda’ on public land
Bob Abbey was Bureau of Land Management chief from 2009 to 2012 and Nevada state director from 1997 to 2005. In a recent interview with High Country News, he discusses the BLM’s response to ranchers, including Cliven Bundy in Nevada, who broke federal laws, as well as the importance of collaborating with local law enforcement when it comes […]