Latest news with #WesternGovernorsAssociation
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands protest in Santa Fe over potential sale of public lands
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Thousands showed up to protest against the selling of public lands in Santa Fe. The protest was held outside the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, where the Western Governors Association's meeting was being held. As part of a federal budget reconciliation bill, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Congressional Republicans want to sell nearly 3 million acres of public lands to build more urban developments. City of Belen prepares for monsoon season with new infrastructure additions That includes parts of the Sandia Mountains, the Organ Mountains desert peaks, and parts of the Gila and Santa Fe National Forests. The deputy director at the Center for Biological Diversity said well over 3,000 protestors showed up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
24-06-2025
- Business
Trump administration plans to rescind rule blocking logging on national forest lands
SANTA FE, N.M. -- The Trump administration plans to rescind a nearly quarter-century-old rule that blocked logging on national forest lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday. The roadless rule adopted in the last days of Bill Clinton's presidency in 2001 long has chafed Republican lawmakers, especially in the West where national forests sprawl across vast, mountainous terrain and the logging industry has waned. The rule impeded road construction and 'responsible timber production' that would have helped reduce the risk of major wildfires, Rollins said at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association. 'This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation's forests," Rollins said. Scientists say that worsening wildfires are driven by a combination of climate change that warms and dries out forests, less logging and decades of fire suppression that has allowed fuels to build up. The roadless rule has affected 30% of national forest lands nationwide, or about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency over the Forest Service. State roadless-area rules in Idaho and Colorado supersede the boundaries of the 2001 roadless rule, according to the USDA, meaning not all national forest land would be affected by a rescission. Rollins' announcement Monday was a first step in a process to rescind the roadless rule to be followed by a formal notice in coming weeks, the Agriculture Department said in a statement. The announcement comes amid recent talk of selling off federal lands in part to improve housing affordability, an idea criticized by Democrats as a public land grab. Selling public lands drew a mixed reception from governors at the same meeting. They expressed enthusiasm for economic development and worries about curtailing public access to shared lands. Speaking to a panel of governors and hotel-ballroom audience, Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum described a new 'era of abundance' on public lands under President Donald Trump's administration in the development of natural resources including energy and critical minerals needed for domestic production of cellphones, computers and vehicles. Outside the hotel entrance in downtown Santa Fe, several hundred protesters filled the street to denounce efforts that might privatize federal public lands, chanting 'not for sale" and carrying signs that read, 'This land belongs to you and me' and 'keep our public land free for future generations.' On social media, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Trump ally, called the reversal on roadless areas 'another example of President Trump fulfilling his campaign promise to open up resources for responsible development.' The roadless area change meanwhile marks a sharp turnaround from the Biden administration, which far from opening up more areas to timber harvesting sought to do more to restrict logging and protect old-growth forests. Environmental groups, who want to keep restrictions on logging and road-building for places such as Alaska's Tongass National Forest, criticized the possibility of rolling back the protections. 'Any attempt to revoke it is an attack on the air and water we breathe and drink, abundant recreational opportunities which millions of people enjoy each year, havens for wildlife and critical buffers for communities threatened by increasingly severe wildfire seasons,' Josh Hicks, conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society, said in a statement on the USDA's plans. Contrary to what Rollins said about reducing wildfire risk, logging exacerbates climate change and makes wildfires more intense, said Center for Western Priorities political director Rachael Hamby. 'This is nothing more than a massive giveaway to timber companies at the expense of every American and the forests that belong to all of us,' Hamby said in a statement. In Alaska, home to the country's largest national forest, the Tongass, the roadless rule has long been a focus of litigation, with state political leaders supporting an exemption to the rule that they argue impedes economic opportunities. During the latter part of Trump's first term, the federal government lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass, something the Biden administration later reversed. Trump in January called for reverting to the policy from his first term as part of an Alaska-specific executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas development, mining and logging in the state. The Tongass is a temperate rainforest of glaciers and rugged coastal islands. It provides habitat to wildlife such as bears, wolves, salmon and bald eagles.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sec. McMahon defends Trump education cuts amid shouts from protesters
SANTA FE, N.M. — U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon faced down crowds of angry protesters and a panel of disgruntled Democratic governors during her appearance at the Western Governors Association annual conference on Monday. Constant chanting could be heard coming through a curtained glass wall behind the panelists, as McMahon defended the Trump administration's measures to shrink the Department of Education. In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing McMahon to 'take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States.' While the ability for a president to dismantle a congressionally approved agency is still being litigated, the Trump administration published their Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal that included at least a 15% funding cut for the department. However, McMahon disputed on Monday the characterization that a cut to her department was a cut to education. Responding to a handful of western governors, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, McMahon framed the move as an effort to improve efficiency and outcomes for American students. 'Neither (Trump) nor I viewed this task of reducing the bureaucracy as a cut to education,' McMahon said. 'The department oversees many federally funded programs, but it does not educate a single student.' The funding totals for the department's biggest programs — including Title I funds for low-income neighborhoods and IDEA grants for disabilities — will remain unchanged from past years, McMahon said. And much of the remaining money, previously administered by the department for rural schools, homeless students and literacy programs, will be sent directly to the states as block grants. Praising states like Utah that have passed school choice reforms, McMahon said that giving states maximum control over education dollars will improve the quality of instruction and limit culture war influences. 'We are replacing ideological indoctrination and misguided teaching practices with tried and true pedagogy in the classroom,' McMahon said. 'Our schools must focus on reading, writing, math and history, not divisive theories or programs that distract from learning.' But McMahon's initiatives were met with little enthusiasm from the event's Democratic lawmakers: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado. The two seemed particularly skeptical of the administration's handling of student loans. After a five-year pause, the administration resumed federal student loan collections earlier this year. The administration has also proposed capping loan amounts, eliminating interest-free options and making universities pay for a share of unpaid student loan debt. As chair of the National Governors Association, Polis has spearheaded a 'Let's Get Ready' initiative focused on policies to better prepare students to contribute to the economy. 'Incentives are so powerful in education,' Polis said. 'Federal student aid ... drives a lot of behavior out there so I encourage you to take a thoughtful look at that.' Grisham emphasized how federal aid has helped a 'poor state' like New Mexico buck the national trend on first-time college enrollment. The panel discussion remained civil even as attendees commented on the shouts coming from outside the room. Grisham acknowledged the distraction but said it was a positive reflection of New Mexicans. 'So I apologize for the noise; don't apologize for community engagement,' Grisham said.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration plans to rescind rule blocking logging on national forest lands
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Trump administration plans to rescind a nearly quarter-century-old rule that blocked logging on national forest lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday. The so-called roadless rule adopted in the last days of Bill Clinton's presidency in 2001 long has chafed Republican lawmakers, especially in the West where national forests sprawl across vast, mountainous terrain and the logging industry has waned. The roadless rule impeded road construction and 'responsible timber production' that would have helped reduce the risk of major wildfires, Rollins said at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association. 'This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation's forests," Rollins said. The rule has affected 30% of national forest lands nationwide, or about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency over the Forest Service. State roadless-area rules in Idaho and Colorado supersede the boundaries of the 2001 roadless rule, according to the USDA, meaning not all national forest land would be affected by a rescission. The announcement comes amid recent talk of selling off federal lands in part to improve housing affordability, an idea criticized by Democrats as a public land grab. Selling public lands drew a mixed reception from governors at the same meeting. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the summit in Santa Fe, chanting 'Not For Sale' and drumming. The roadless area change meanwhile marks a sharp turnaround from the Biden administration, which far from opening up more areas to timber harvesting sought to do more to restrict logging and protect old-growth forests. Environmental groups, who want to keep restrictions on logging and road-building for places such as Alaska's Tongass National Forest, criticized the possibility of rolling back the protections. 'Any attempt to revoke it is an attack on the air and water we breathe and drink, abundant recreational opportunities which millions of people enjoy each year, havens for wildlife and critical buffers for communities threatened by increasingly severe wildfire seasons,' Josh Hicks, conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society, said in a statement on the USDA's plans. Contrary to what Rollins said about reducing wildfire risk, logging exacerbates climate change and makes wildfires more intense, said Center for Western Priorities political director Rachael Hamby. 'This is nothing more than a massive giveaway to timber companies at the expense of every American and the forests that belong to all of us,' Hamby said in a statement. In Alaska, home to the country's largest national forest, the Tongass, the roadless rule has long been a focus of litigation, with state political leaders supporting an exemption to the rule that they argue impedes economic opportunities. During the latter part of President Donald Trump's first term, the federal government lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass, something the Biden administration later reversed. Trump in January called for reverting to the policy from his first term as part of an Alaska-specific executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas development, mining and logging in the state. The Tongass is a temperate rainforest of glaciers and rugged coastal islands. It provides habitat to wildlife such as bears, wolves, salmon and bald eagles. ___ Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Matthew Daly in Washington, D.C., and Matthew Brown in Helena, Montana, contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump administration plans to rescind rule blocking logging on national forest lands
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Trump administration plans to rescind a nearly quarter-century-old rule that blocked logging on national forest lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday. The so-called roadless rule adopted in the last days of Bill Clinton's presidency in 2001 long has chafed Republican lawmakers, especially in the West where national forests sprawl across vast, mountainous terrain and the logging industry has waned. The roadless rule impeded road construction and 'responsible timber production' that would have helped reduce the risk of major wildfires, Rollins said at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association. 'This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation's forests,' Rollins said. The rule affected 30% of national forest lands nationwide, or about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency over the Forest Service. State roadless-area rules in Idaho and Colorado supersede the boundaries of the 2001 roadless rule, according to the USDA, meaning not all national forest land would be affected by a recission. The announcement came amid talk of selling off federal lands, an idea that received a mixed reception from governors at the same meeting. In Alaska, home to the country's largest national forest, the Tongass, the roadless rule has long been a focus of litigation, with state political leaders supporting an exemption to the rule that they argue impedes economic opportunities. During the latter part of President Donald Trump's first term, the federal government lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass, something the Biden administration later reversed . Trump in January called for reverting to the policy from his first term as part of an Alaska-specific executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas development, mining and logging in the state. The Tongass is a temperate rainforest of glaciers and rugged coastal islands. It provides habitat to wildlife such as bears, wolves, salmon and bald eagles. Environmental groups, who want to keep restrictions on logging and road-building in place for the Tongass, criticized the possibility of rolling back the protections. 'Any attempt to revoke it is an attack on the air and water we breathe and drink, abundant recreational opportunities which millions of people enjoy each year, havens for wildlife and critical buffers for communities threatened by increasingly severe wildfire seasons,' Josh Hicks, conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society, said in a statement of USDA's plans. ___ Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this report.
