The U.S. just changed how it manages a tenth of its land
For decades, the federal government has prioritized oil and gas drilling, hardrock mining and livestock grazing on public lands across the country.
That could soon change under a far-reaching Interior Department rule that puts #conservation, #recreation and #renewable#energy development on equal footing with resource extraction.
The final rule released Thursday represents a seismic shift in the management of roughly 245 million acres of public property
— about one-tenth of the nation’s land mass.
It is expected to draw praise from conservationists and legal challenges from fossil fuel industry groups and Republican officials,
some of whom have lambasted the move as a “land grab.”
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, known as the nation’s largest landlord, has long offered leases to #oil and gas companies, #mining firms and #ranchers.
Now, for the first time, the nearly 80-year-old agency will auction off “#restoration leases” and “#mitigation leases” to entities with plans to restore or conserve public lands.
"Some of the rarest creatures in Britain have now made Knepp their home, including kingfishers, hazel dormice, scarce chaser dragonflies and purple emperor butterflies. The river has returned to its natural course and the soil is now storing as much #carbon per hectare as a 25-year-old plantation of trees does, according to recent tests."
"Raising cattle is far from lucrative, even in wealthy economies where demand for beef is high. The agriculture department confirmed this month that US beef farmers and ranchers are in dire economic straits. For all their hard, dangerous work, 70% lose money and, excluding government support, their average net income per acre was less than 50 cents."
"A global annual investment of just 1% of the world’s GDP – around $1tn – to pay farmers who choose to transition from cattle husbandry to #restoration and management of native #forests and #grasslands would significantly raise the income of cattle farmers and stimulate rural communities, while rapidly reducing global warming and reversing the global collapse of biodiversity. And that would be a bargain."
Both had been wounded by gunfire and, along with other Indigenous community members, were viciously assaulted by a ruralist mob, calling themselves “Zero Invasion.”…
After driving all over Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. I'll tell you what, those rugged individualist, self made man ranchers sure loves them some big government socialist irrigation projects, many of which were started by arguably the most socialist president we've ever had, FDR #biggovernment #socialism #ranchers
Within the 1.1 million acres that make up the #AntelopeComplex in #Nevada lives a herd of beautiful strong #WildHorses. — But for the past few years, the herd has been targeted by #helicopters.
When the helicopters descended on the herd in 2021, the horses ran as fast as they could away from its deafening roar. After over an hour of running, they were exhausted — especially the foals and the helicopters were funneling them into a trap.