Public Lands News
Homes on federal land, vanishing fireflies, and more
Happy Friday! Can you believe it’s October?! I hope you’re out enjoying the splendor of this amazing time of year. It’ll be gone before you know so make sure you get out and soak it in!
Below I’ve rustled up the latest in public lands news.
Utah wants to steal your public lands. I wrote about this in the last newsletter, but it’s still the top headline so if you haven’t read about it I’d recommend it.
Coastal fireflies are vanishing at an alarming rate. You’ve probably heard people wondering aloud in the past 5 years or so where all the fireflies have gone. It’s not uncommon to hear anyone over the age of 25 talk about how there used to be so many more fireflies when they were growing up. Well it’s not a wives tale, they really are vanishing and the coastal variety seem to be on the brink. You can read about what USFWS is doing to stem the tide in this article.
Repurposing federal land for housing is gaining momentum in both parties. You may recall that I wrote about this issue a while back and sadly it isn’t going away. The Trump campaign has stated in no uncertain terms that it wants to sell large tracts of public land for housing developments. Meanwhile the Harris campaign has signalled its openness to selling federal land for housing as well, albiet in a more limited fashion. Meanwhile in July the BLM sold 20 acres of prime federal land in the Las Vegas area for the circa 1800’s price of $100/acre so that the city could build housing for first time homebuyers. Obviously the Trump campaign has it’s sights set on selling off federal lands to satisfy insatiable corporate greed by whatever means available. Meanwhile the other party may be more well-intentioned in selling small parcels of federal land in cities experiencing a housing crunch, but it sets a terrifying precedent for the government to sell our land without our say so. I wonder with SCOTUS recently striking down the decades old Chevron ruling if that means consevation groups can sue to stop these kinds of land sell-offs since they aren’t expressly authorized by Congress. A question for any lawyers amongst our readers.
Blue Ridge Parkway Closed Indefinitely. After the mountains of North Carolina bore the brunt of Helene’s wrath, with whole towns washing away, the NPS was forced to close America’s famous parkway at it’s most visited time of year.
Company seeking to mine next to Okefenokee Swamp benefitting from conservation tax credit. Ya remember when I raised the alarm about this ridiculous mine next to one of the most precious ecological spots in the United States? Well they’re still there trying to get the mine up and running (thankfully the Biden administration put up a roadblock) and are receiving extraordinarily generous tax breaks while they do it. The kicker of course is that the tax breaks are for conservation!
BLM Logging Project in Oregon Sparks Lawsuit Over Old-Growth Forest. The logging project was originally proposed by the BLM in 2019 and subsequently released its Environmental Assessment on April 27, 2022, just five days after President Biden issued Executive Order 14072, directing federal agencies to protect remaining old-growth forests. Two days later, the agency pulled the proposal, citing a need for internal review. On August 1, 2024, the agency inexplicably revived the project without significant changes. Interestingly former BLM employees have come forward stating that the agency intentionally misrepresented the age of the targeted forests to permit the proposed logging. Oh and just how old are some of the trees? Try 1,000+ years.
My Favorite Time of Year
I’m headed out to the woods and I hope you are too. I’ve got trips planned to some of my favorite fall haunts just as the leaves are nearing peak. Time to dig your jacket out of the closet and soak in the sights, sounds, and smells of the season!
That’s all folks! Until next time!
-Jim