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Cowboys and conservationists team up to protect Colorado lands
A coalition of ranchers and environmentalists joined forces to secure a 20-year halt on new oil and gas drilling in Colorado's Thompson Divide.
In short:
- An unexpected alliance of ranchers, cyclists, and environmentalists formed the Thompson Divide Coalition to protect nearly 250,000 acres of land from oil drilling.
- Legal vulnerabilities in existing drilling leases, especially around environmental reviews, helped the coalition challenge the leases.
- The Biden administration issued a 20-year pause on new drilling to allow Congress to consider permanent protections.
Key quote:
“This campaign has done an extraordinary amount of good to right-size the value of public lands, the value of environmental values like historic cultural values on public lands that weren’t getting adequate consideration in the old paradigm.”
— Peter Hart, legal director of Wilderness Workshop
Why this matters:
Efforts like these highlight the power of diverse coalitions in influencing environmental policies. Protecting public lands from oil and gas development is crucial for preserving ecosystems and combating climate change.
Related EHN coverage:
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Credit: John Kakuk/Unsplash
Texas ranchers face long-term recovery from devastating wildfires
In the wake of massive Texas wildfires, cattle ranchers grapple with extensive losses and a challenging path to recovery.
In short:
- The Smokehouse Creek fire, one of the largest in U.S. history, has decimated over 2,000 square miles of grazing land, affecting tens of thousands of cattle.
- With an estimated multi-year recovery for pastures and significant uninsured infrastructure damage, Texas agriculture braces for prolonged hardship.
- While the immediate beef supply remains stable, the community confronts ongoing drought, erratic weather patterns, and the looming threat of future wildfires.
Key quote:
“We just have these aberrant years one way or the other and it seems to be boom or bust, regrettably. We kind of grow accustomed to these events on a regular basis."
— Jared Blankenship, Texas Farm Bureau Federation representative
Why this matters:
This story highlights the fragile interplay between climate extremes and agriculture, emphasizing the broader implications of such disasters on food security and rural livelihoods, pivotal in both local and national contexts.
Explainer: How do wildfires impact your health?
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Image by Yosvany Garcia from Pixabay
As the Colorado River declines, some upstream look to use it before they lose it
As states negotiate future water cuts, some officials are looking to build new dams and reservoirs in the Upper Basin of the overallocated Colorado River to use more water.
$3 billion from Inflation Reduction Act goes to help farmers fight climate change, including in Nebraska
A new year means new help is on the way for Nebraska farmers thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s all in an effort to fight climate change especially for those communities hit hard by flooding and drought, which Nebraska saw plenty of in 2022.
The past, present and a possible future of the Ogallala aquifer
In Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains, Lucas Bessire returns to his his family's farm in southwest Kansas to explore how people feel about the depletion of the Ogallala aquifer, which stretches beneath parts of eight states.
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Nev. landowners say they've begun razing wildlife refuge dam
Patch of Heaven owner Annette Fuentes said federal officials at the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge have threatened arrest but won't stop them. "They
Newsletter
California farmers and cattle ranchers struggle to survive unprecedented water cuts
Sacramento Valley growers protected for decades by their water rights are suffering for the first time during this record-breaking drought. Wildlife refuges are struggling, too.
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