An Arizona-based coalition is calling on the Department of the Interior to expand the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in addition to returning the Darby Wells town site to the Tohono O'odham Nation and expanding the Hia-Ced O'odham cemetery.

Lorraine Marquez Eiler, a Hia-Ced O'odham elder, board president and co-founder of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, explained the proposal would transfer a parcel of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management near Ajo to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a part of the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge. Eiler noted Darby Wells and the cemetery have great meaning to her and Native stakeholders.

"We do need a place where we can have our wakes, our ceremonies," Eiler stressed. "Even though we do, do it at Darby Wells which is on BLM land, it would be much better that we have our own place and of course any land that would come forth whether it's purchased or donated, or in whatever manner comes to us. It would go to the Tohono O'odham Nation."

Eiler has noticed more camping taking place in the area, leading to subsequent degradation which she argued takes away from the essence of the sacred land. She added expanding Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and returning the sites to the Tohono O'odham Nation will bring a conservation focus to the fragile desert environment.

Aaron Cooper, executive director of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, said those who live around Ajo value having access to the Sonoran Desert, which means ensuring protection for cultural, ecological and recreational assets is paramount. Cooper added his organization has been empowering communities like Ajo he said are interested in "leveraging," those assets for economic gains but also want to care for them responsibly.

He emphasized now is the time for the Biden administration to act to boost recovery efforts of the threatened Sonoran Desert.

"A lot of different things can happen on BLM land, but that is maybe not the best way to approach this particular track of land," Cooper contended. "Given all the fragility and the importance of the natural resources and endangered species, and some of the irreplaceable culture resources, too."

Cooper explained the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required to protect species from extinction, restore habitats and foster biological diversity. It would also have the power to limit vehicles to established roads and restrict access to certain areas.

The issues would be discussed as part of a public process to transfer Bureau of Land Management lands to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The group is collecting signatures for its petition.


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The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has issued flood alerts following wildfires burning huge swaths of the state.

Floods are more likely after fires because there is less vegetation on the land to absorb water. At least 64 wildfires are burning in Montana right now and the state is closing in on a thousand for the year.

While wildfires can burn quickly and threaten structures and human lives, they create another danger even after the flames are out.

Traci Sears, national flood insurance program coordinator for the department, said the blazes leave behind acres of barren land unable to absorb rain water.

"Essentially, that soil actually becomes what they call 'hydrophobic,'" Sears explained. "It will repel water almost like concrete would. It can cause situations where you don't just have flooding but you could actually have mud flows as well."

The state is creating an interactive flood plain map to track where floods are likely to happen and to help residents plan for them when heavy rains come.

The severity of the flooding varies based on the terrain and type of vegetation destroyed by the fire but Sears pointed out it can take as long as seven years for some areas to regrow shrubs and other ground cover, and longer for trees. On the positive side, Sears noted the issue is drawing more attention because the state has been making residents more aware of the threat.

"There has definitely been more awareness, I would say, in the last six to seven years," Sears observed. "Montana has been really proactive in working not just with the flooding department but also looking and working with our fire department as well, to try and coordinate on some of this messaging."

The fires in Montana have scorched nearly 90,000 acres as dry and windy conditions persist throughout the western United States.

The federal government is looking to combat the climate crisis and protect public lands in Utah and around the country by empowering young adults.

Ken Goodson, director of the National Civilian Community Corps for AmeriCorps, said its newly launched partnership with the U.S. Forest Service will give people ages 18-26 hands-on experience in wildfire mitigation, reforestation, conservation and resource management.

"The origin story here is largely one based on successful history of AmeriCorps programs and working in the environmental, conservations space," Goodson pointed out. "Then just the increasing risk that we see through a greater frequency of fires and a greater intensity of fires, particularly here in the Mountain West."

Goodson pointed out the U.S. Forest Service launched its wildfire crisis and reforestation strategies over a year ago and approached AmeriCorps in an effort to grow its "people power" to implement both strategies, and invest in a future workforce.

Goodson said the Forest Corps is one of the first new programs launched as part of President Biden's American Climate Corps, an initiative aimed at training young people in high-demand skill areas for jobs in the clean energy sector.

"Under the Climate Corps initiative you have the opportunity to help get these disparate efforts largely rowing in the same direction," Goodson emphasized. "Thinking about greater, collective impact and then also individual programs being able to share their successes, their challenges."

More than 40,000 acres have burned in Utah so far this year, significantly more than last year's 18,000 acres.

With climate change having an effect, Goodson added it is another reason the Forest Corps program is so needed.

"The moment in time right now with fires becoming more frequent and more intense really causes me to feel like the Forest Corps is the right program for the right time and would certainly welcome any 18- to 26-year-olds who are interested to please check us out," Goodson concluded.


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Environmentalists are applauding a Bureau of Land Management decision to allow the sale of a small national public land parcel for an affordable housing development.

The sale of public lands is controversial, with Republicans and conservative groups seeing states as preferable stewards. Conversely, Democrats and conservation groups argued states cannot afford to protect public lands and would sell them to private companies.

Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities, said there are public lands adjacent to metro areas in some Western states well-suited to development, which could help solve the nation's housing shortage.

"But that's the kind of stuff that happens five, 10, 20 acres at a time," Weiss explained. "Not the wholesale transfer of tens of thousands or even millions of acres to states and private parties."

For the first time ever, the BLM this week approved the sale of 20 acres of national public land near Las Vegas to the Clark County Department of Social Services for an affordable housing development. Weiss pointed out the federal "memorandum of understanding" is specific to the Nevada parcel but he believes there are others near Phoenix or Tucson that would make sense for consideration.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Gov. Joe Lombardo, R-Nev., are the most recent politicians citing the housing shortage as a need to sell off public lands to developers. In a letter to President Joe Biden, Lombardo urged approval for the transfer of 50,000 acres of public land around Las Vegas with few restrictions, which Weiss believes would create urban chaos. He contends mixing in housing is a new approach to how conservatives now talk about public lands.

"Much of the Republican Party finally recognized that calling for wholesale transfer was a political third rail in the West," Weiss observed. "No matter how conservative the state, voters everywhere across the political spectrum do not want to dispose of national public lands on that scale."

Weiss added any sale of public lands for housing should require it be affordable and not end up providing "McMansions" or "trophy homes" for billionaires.


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