Jonathan Thompson at the Land Desk
@landdesk.bsky.social
journalist, editor, trail runner, cyclist, runs the Land Desk newsletter covering lands and communities of the Western U.S.-Four Corners Region.
The administration wants to open 3 million acres to mining claims and oil and gas leasing at the expense of the landscape.
What’s destroying Utah’s monuments - High Country News
The administration wants to open 3 million acres to mining claims and oil and gas leasing at the expense of the landscape.
hcn.org
Now Trump’s going after Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Law, one of the last (if inadequate) barriers to destruction of cultural sites in the Chaco region and the lands removed from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Trump looks to gut a key historic preservation law
A weakened Section 106 makes national monuments and the Chaco mineral withdrawal more important than ever
open.substack.com
Trump didn't just eliminate 91% of Bears Ears National Monument — he eliminated the first-of-its-kind tribal commission that has helped manage the monument: www.hcn.org/articles/bea...
Bears Ears cuts also end first-of-its-kind tribal land commission - High Country News
A presidential proclamation slashed the monument by 90% despite a promise to involve tribes.
hcn.org
While we’re all distracted by the big issues the Trump administration has been gutting public lands and public lands protection. From @landdesk.bsky.social
Trump's Bears Ears and GSENM shrinkage maps are out, and they are ugly
Plus: BLM moves to erase Chaco buffer zone; random real estate room
open.substack.com
You thought Trump I's shrinkage of Utah national monuments was bad? This time it's far, far worse... www.landdesk.org/p/trump-slas...
Trump slashes nearly 3 million acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments
It's far, far worse than the last time Trump took his Sharpie to cherished public lands
landdesk.org
USDA chief: Give me more cattle in the national forests! open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
USDA chief: Give me more cattle in the national forests!
Plus a Messing with Maps look back at the summer of 1776
open.substack.com
In which I look at the wildfires in the West, and express my anger at Trump administration officials downplaying the climate crisis and pushing fossil fuel use as the planet literally burns: Climate, conflagrations, and calamities open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Climate, conflagrations, and calamities
Plus: A little meditation on the water-energy-ag nexus
open.substack.com
The Trump administration is again looking to sacrifice public lands and U.S. taxpayers for the sake of petroleum corporation profits. But you still have a chance to comment on oil and gas leasing reforms and the waste prevention rule. open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Utah's legal bid to kill Bears Ears, GSENM monuments lives on; BLM looks to open Utah land to motorheads; and Hoback water woes ...
🌵 Public Lands 🌲
open.substack.com
Babylon Fire, BENM Bears Ears National Monument www.fs.usda.gov/r04/manti-la... share.watchduty.org/i/104843?ts=... Canyonlands NP has closed the Needles Visitor Center and paused backcountry activities in The Needles District #parkchat
The rise of larger vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks, with their taller hoods and larger blind zones, has contributed to a 75% increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths since 2009. Until we design better streets and ban these vehicles, people outside these vehicles will keep dying.
The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s (Gift Article)
The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.
nytimes.com
For a break from all the grim news, here's some images from mostly public lands in the West, including the Dolores River, White Canyon, and more. open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Foto Friday and Juneteenth rest day
I had a few dispatches lined up for today, one about gentrification and another about data centers, and then I realized it was a national holiday, Juneteenth, and my readers need a break from all of t...
open.substack.com
MAGA fails to derail GESNM plan; Trump looks to tweak WSA management, climbing rules open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
MAGA fails to derail GESNM plan; Trump looks to tweak WSA management, climbing rules
Plus: A guest commentary on Colorado River allocation
open.substack.com
To Lees or not to Lee's; Mike Lee goes after roadless rule; Trump steps up oil and gas leasing open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
To Lees or not to Lee's; Mike Lee goes after roadless rule; Trump steps up oil and gas leasing
Plus a dash of historical mass murder and its connection to today's copyediting and political battles
open.substack.com
Absolutely love this investigation from @landdesk.bsky.social on the proper spelling/etymology of Lees Ferry, aka Lee's Ferry, aka Lee Ferry, one of the most important spots on the Colorado River except nobody can agree exactly that it's called: www.landdesk.org/p/to-lees-or...
To Lees or not to Lee's; Mike Lee goes after roadless rule; Trump steps up oil and gas leasing
Plus a dash of historical mass murder and its connection to today's copyediting and political battles
landdesk.org
If you’ve ever wondered about Lee vs. Lee’s vs. Lees Ferry, what that has to do with a 19th century mass murder, and what any of that has to do with MAGA Sen. Mike Lee, well, I’ve got some answers here: www.landdesk.org/p/to-lees-or...
To Lees or not to Lee's; Mike Lee goes after roadless rule; Trump steps up oil and gas leasing
Plus a dash of historical mass murder and its connection to today's copyediting and political battles
landdesk.org
In 1956, construction of Glen Canyon Dam began. The dam would generate hydropower, promote recreation and keep silt from filling up Lake Mead, but its
Glen Canyon Dam dances with deadpool - High Country News
In 1956, construction of Glen Canyon Dam began. The dam would generate hydropower, promote recreation and keep silt from filling up Lake Mead, but its
hcn.org
San Juan Basin fossil fuel industries keep polluting, even as they fade away open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
San Juan Basin fossil fuel industries keep polluting, even as they fade away
It's time to launch a land-healing and restoration economy
open.substack.com
A number of issues, mining, usfs move, chaco canyon, grand staircase-escalante national monument open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
On misleading public lands coverage
Plus: Mining (Hype) Monitor
open.substack.com
Bullfrog, Halls, and Hite. (Lake Powell and drought) Jonathan Thompson @landdesk.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Climate change comes for a Lake Powell marina
Will Bullfrog survive the shrinking Colorado River?
open.substack.com
The proposed Stratos data center on the shores of the Great Salt Lake is not only ginormous, but its gas-fired power plant would be nearly enough to power the entire state www.landdesk.org/p/data-cente...
Data Center Watch: Stratos project edition
Massive complex on the banks of the Great Salt Lake sparks intense opposition
landdesk.org
I'm having a hard time believing my eyes with water data this year. The Colorado River mainstem through Grand Junction was flowing at 54 cfs last night. Not a typo. 54 cfs. Last year on this date it was flowing at 1,420cfs. Even in 2002, the driest year on record, it was at 690cfs on April 22.
Reclamation Acts to Protect Colorado River System During Historic Drought USBR’s April “24 Month Study” projects Lake Powell may decline to below the minimum power pool level by August 2026 without major intervention. #ColoradoRiver #LakePowell #power #water www.usbr.gov/newsroom/new...
Newsroom | Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Reclamation
usbr.gov
The feds are indicating they will "defend" 3,500 feet in Lake Powell to avoid dropping below minimum power pool, or what I call "de facto deadpool" since the water below that is not available for release. open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Abysmal math on the Colorado River
Feds look to avoid de facto deadpool at Glen Canyon Dam
open.substack.com
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Canary Media | Covering the clean energy transition
Ambitious, nonprofit journalism on the clean energy transition, economy-wide decarbonization, and climatetech markets.
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"The solar sites are located on former lignite mine around the area of Amyntaio and Ptolemaida in northern Greece. According to a statement from PPC, they are capable of generating a combined 3.15 TWh annually, equivalent to nearly 6% of the country’s annual electricity consumption."
Greek utility completes 2.13 GW solar cluster at former coal mine
Greece’s PPC Group has finished construction of its 2.13 GW solar portfolio in northern Greece. The company is now working on its third large-scale battery storage facility in the area, with plans for...
pv-magazine.com
Good morning friends We have until April 7th to comment on the Chaco Canyon area proposal - admin/regime plans to reopen drilling. Great backgrounder from @landdesk.bsky.social , includes a link to the blm project page or open.substack.com/pub/landdesk...
Chaco protections in the crosshairs; USFS HQ to SLC
Chaco comment period ends April 7
open.substack.com
The Colorado River Basin was 6.6F warmer in March 2026 than the previous record warmest March. March 2026 was also in last place (since 1940) for precipitation. Lake Powell and Lake Mead are in big trouble.
"[T]his war, like so many others, revolves around oil...& when oil is involved, the effects inevitably recoil on the U.S. in the form of higher prices, followed by yet more calls to drill public lands in the name of energy independence—or, in Trump-speak, "energy dominance."" @landdesk.bsky.social
War exposes the energy dominance lie - High Country News
True energy independence comes from weaning ourselves from fossil fuels.
hcn.org
