Weekly News Roundup – March 15, 2013

Mary Price | Last Updated: January 8, 2016

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

NWF: On First Ever Carbon Pollution Limits, We Can’t Wait

March 15–The Obama administration may delay first-ever limits on carbon pollution from new power plants, according to a report Friday by the Washington Post.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“The Environmental Protection Agency went through a rigorous process to design the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from new power plants. They’re long overdue, desperately needed to protect America’s wildlife and communities from climate change, and over three million Americans have spoken up in support of them. Any signal they’re stalled just ensures further delay in confronting climate change at a time when the Americans are looking for momentum.

For more on Carbon Pollution, visit our Stopping Carbon Pollution page

Wildlife Groups Urge BLM To Yank Leases

March 12-Wildlife groups are urging the Colorado Bureau of Land Management to withdraw oil and gas leases from an upcoming sale so it can update its nearly 30-year-old management plan for the area and include safeguards for important fish and wildlife habitat.

The National Wildlife Federation and the Colorado Wildlife Federation have filed a protest of three parcels totaling about 2,200 acres in North Park. The BLM’s Kremmling office plans to offer the leases in a May 9 sale.

Conservation groups have asked the BLM to approve master leasing plans in North Park and South Park before issuing new leases. Master leasing plans are intended to use upfront, comprehensive planning to minimize conflict and habitat loss in areas where exceptional wildlife and energy resources overlap.

The wildlife groups noted that the BLM resource management plan covering North Park, as elsewhere in Colorado, is several years old and is being rewritten.

“Not only is the BLM offering leases in habitat important to sage-grouse, mule deer and other wildlife, but it’s doing so based on a plan that’s nearly three decades old,’’ National Wildlife Federation attorney Michael Saul said. “The BLM needs to finish updating the document instead of going ahead with piecemeal decisions now that will undermine its ability to take a more informed, comprehensive look later.”

For more information on protecting public lands visit our public lands page.

Check out our latest blog on how renewable energy can be responsibly developed on public lands.

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news: