Land Management

The new U.S. Forest Service chief pointed to an already devastating wildfire season, arguing active management is critical to wildfire resilience and the long-term health of forests.

The Roadless Rule protects millions of acres of public land. Environmental groups have expressed support for the rule, but federal lawmakers were more divided.

In other news, a world-renowed BASE jumper was one of two people killed in an accident near Moab. And, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams has two primary challengers for his District 7 seat.

When paring down hundreds of religious designations, the Pentagon put the church outside the Christianity category. In other news, a new fire near Scipio burned 1,300 acres in a day.

Ranching and energy groups were excited for former congressman Steve Pearce, while conservationists were worried he'd sell public lands. In the end, the Senate voted on party lines to approve him.

The program is already removing migration barriers on private land in Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming. That includes modifying fences and paying landowners to preserve grasslands.

The birds are already facing pressures like drought, wildfires, and climate change. Conservation groups say the case could shape land use decisions on public lands for years to come.

Steve Pearce, a former Republican congressman from New Mexico, will next need to clear a vote in the full Senate in the coming weeks to be confirmed.

Republican lawmakers are increasingly turning to the Congressional Review Act to overturn public lands management plans — but until now, it hadn't been used to target a national monument.

One in five Bureau of Land Management employees are veterans. Some worry the bureau's nominee, Steve Pearce, could sell off public land and thus cost veterans their jobs.