On January 30, 2025 the US Senate voted to confirm Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior on a 79-18 vote. Secretary Burgum is the former Governor of North Dakota. We congratulate him and our hope is that he will value the many uses of our public lands and employ a balanced approach to their …
On January 16, 2025 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it has finalized the Resource Management Plan in Colorado for conserving the Greater Sage-grouse. The plan improves the 2015 plan as the best science has continued to advance during the intervening 10 years. In Colorado the Greater Sage-grouse is a Species of Greatest …
On January 13, 2025, the US Supreme Court rejected Utah’s request to bring a lawsuit to take over ownership and control of the 29,000 square miles of BLM-managed public lands in the state. Although the Supreme Court did not provide its rationale, University of Colorado law professor Mark Squillace stated that the 1894 enabling legislation …
On November 12, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners denied the Special Use Application for Shadow Mountain Bike Park on a 2-1 vote. They cited wildlife impacts, the comprehensive management plan, and incompatibility with the neighborhood. The applicant continued to state they could not or would not extend closure of the bike park during elk …
On November 8, 2024 the Bureau of Land Management issued its proposed final plan to improve protections for greater sage grouse on public lands in 10 western states including Colorado. The proposed amended BLM habitat management plans will incorporate updated beset science to strengthen conservation measures for sagebrush habitat on the public lands managed by …
Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) comment period for the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) remains open through November 12. Public comment is sought on the plan at this stage of its development: the draft lists of tier 1 and tier 2 “species of greatest conservation need,” which are the most vulnerable species in Colorado …
On October 23, 2024 the Colorado BLM published its Resource Management Plan Amendment for Big Game Habitat Conservation to create consistency between wildlife rules promulgated by Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) and 12 BLM field offices. Before this plan, oil and gas operators were required to follow BLM federal leasing and permitting regulations …
On October 15, 2024 Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management Commission completed its deliberations to formulate rules that will govern determination of cumulative impacts from oil and gas operations to the environment, including wildlife, water, and nearby communities. CWF was a party to the rulemaking in conjunction with Western Resource Advocates and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. …
Great news that on October 1, 2024 the Vail Town Council unanimously approved a settlement agreement with Vail Resorts that ended its appeal of the Town’s acquisition by eminent domain of the Booth Heights 23-acre parcel in East Vail. This parcel is the Gore Range herd’s severe winter range. Vail Resorts had sought to develop …
On August 30 BLM issued its Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments [Solar PEIS] which, in other words, is its proposed roadmap for solar energy development on public lands. BLM plans to amend its resource management plans in Colorado and 10 other western states. Essentially BLM plans to open public …
Colorado Wildlife Federation