Due to severe drought, irrigation allotments were decreased to lowest amounts in history.
Department of Interior
Posted inArticles
Haaland kicks off tenure focusing on climate and environmental injustice
The new Interior secretary issued orders to create a Climate Task Force at the agency and to prioritize the social costs of greenhouse gases.
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On day one, Haaland addresses Indigenous media
Tribal journalists given first opportunity to interview first Indigenous secretary of Interior.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
The Biden administration’s critical role in Indian Country
Four important decisions will impact the forests, lands and waters of tribal nations.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Under Biden, the BLM backtracks on Hammond grazing permit
Days before their herd was set to return to public lands near Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, two fire-starting ranchers lose their grazing rights.
Posted inMarch 1, 2021: The Rough Road Ahead
Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction
The hastily approved project went forward without comment from the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe.
Posted inArticles
Should BLM be closer to Western communities or Congress?
After a messy move, Biden’s Interior Department faces tough questions about where the agency should be headquartered.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
How to reverse Trump’s harmful legacy on conservation
President Biden is off to a good start, but there is much to be done. The Restoration Project has a blueprint.
Posted inMarch 1, 2021: The Rough Road Ahead
Public land is no longer on sale to oil and gas companies
President Biden’s leasing pause signals a major shift in federal land policy.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
Reclaiming the National Bison Range
After decades of battling misinformation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes recover their lands and the herd.
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Oil lease sale for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge draws few bidders
The Trump administration succeeded in opening the refuge for drilling. The highest bidder? The state of Alaska itself.
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Indigenous fishers on the Columbia River confront new challenges
Beyond depleted salmon runs, the pandemic has created occupational hazards and a depressed salmon market.
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A crude virus: How ‘man camps’ can cause a COVID surge
The Keystone XL Pipeline threatens to spread more than just oil through Indigenous communities.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2021: End of the Line
The Washington, D.C., siege has Western roots and consequences
History and the growing power of right-wing extremism point to a volatile future for the West during the Biden presidency.
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Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
From legal decisions to on-the-ground policies, Indigenous lawyers describe the administration’s tactics as an “onslaught” removing federal protections of land and wildlife.
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Tribal leaders respond to the idea of an Indigenous Interior secretary
Representation is important, and so are policy decisions impacting tribes on the ground.
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Biden needs to go beyond a Trump reset
The president-elect has an opportunity to rebuild better than before.
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Where the Great American Outdoors Act stands now
After passing with bipartisan support in August, the conservation law hits stumbling blocks. Here’s what may happen next.
Posted inDecember 1, 2020: A Community Divided
How fossil-fueled politics undermined a backcountry compromise
William Perry Pendley’s illegal stint as agency head undoes a first-of-its-kind land designation in Montana.
Posted inArticles
How the Biden administration can reverse Trump’s environmental policies
And what actions the President-elect should prioritize.