Missed the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual gathering in Fort Collins? Never fear, for our in-house humorist David Helvarg has herein recounted the “highs” (and paranoid lows). Among them: oddball scientists, strolls in a snow storm, bad burros and beet-based dinners. Plus, the secret strategy behind SEJ’s conference site selection.
"The team that assesses the environmental impacts of major projects on the nation’s public lands will be split up and spread across seven states, according to new internal documents breaking down the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plans to relocate most of its Washington-based employees out west."
"A top Interior Department official reportedly denied the existence of climate change and compared undocumented immigrants to 'cancer.'"
"With a self-described Sagebrush Rebel in charge, moving nearly 300 Bureau of Land Management staff could give Western states more influence over federal land use."
As the Society of Environmental Journalists heads to Colorado this week for its annual gathering, it’s a good time to consider how to report on the vast public lands throughout the western United States. The latest TipSheet explores the history of conflict over public lands, the stories they yield and the resources needed to better report the issue.
"Energy Secretary Rick Perry is expected to announce his resignation from the administration by the end of November, according to three people familiar with his plans."
Compelling pipeline stories can be found throughout the United States, but first you need to know where the pipelines are. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox looks at the best source of pipeline data, which offers a wealth of government information on location, incidents and enforcement. But there are caveats as well.
"Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed a secretarial order today keeping William Perry Pendley at the helm of the Bureau of Land Management for an additional four months and appointing two others to unfilled positions at the Interior Department."
"President Donald Trump on Thursday tapped Pete Gaynor, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting administrator, to permanently lead the agency."
The politics of federal appropriations is convoluted, but buried within are important local environmental stories. Heading into the upcoming fiscal year, the latest TipSheet explains how the process works and where to find the news. Plus, spotting environmental pork barrel, and what a “minibus” bill is and why it matters.
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