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DEFINITIONS

Sometimes what we work on can be a little (or very) wonky. So we’re picking out some of the topics that we find confusing (so you may as well) and defining them for you! Check out the library below.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)

The BLM is a federal government agency that manages over 248.2 million surface acres of public lands and 700 million acres of subsurface, or mineral, estate in the United States.

ENERGY POLICY ACT 2005

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 prioritizes the energy industry over public interests in several ways, notably through the Halliburton Loophole.

FOREST SERVICE (USFS)

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation’s 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres.

FRACKING

Fracking is the process of using explosives and a highly pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to stimulate production from natural gas and oil wells.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)

The FOIA gives the public the right to access government records not covered under one of nine exemptions intended to protect personal privacy and national security.

OZONE

Ground-level ozone (sometimes known as “Smog”) in the Four Corners is an air pollutant formed from oil, gas, and coal emissions that threatens local public health.

REGIONAL HAZE

Regional haze is the reflection of light off pollution particles in the air. Haze limits visibility from national parks and wilderness areas and threatens public health.

SPLIT ESTATE

A split estate refers to property where the surface rights and minerals rights are owned by separate parties (federal, state, private, tribal, or corporate).

Leaving wanting more? Check out our Energy, Public Lands, and Rivers campaign maps!

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Recent News (More)

ECOFLIGHT: Migration Corridors on Wolf Creek Pass

| Lands Protection, Wildlife, Wolf Creek | No Comments
This summer the San Juan Citizens Alliance teamed up with Ecoflight for a flyover of the Southern San Juans. EcoFlight is a nonprofit organization that educates and advocates for the protection of remaining wild lands and wildlife habitat using small aircraft.…

Forests play a role in fighting climate change

| Durango Herald Column, Forest Health | No Comments
A cherished landscape gained a measure of new protection this month when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order creating a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park that precludes future oil and gas leasing. The decision culminates…

Chaco Gains Reprieve from New Drilling

| Coal, Durango Herald Column, Energy Transition, Oil & Gas | No Comments
A cherished landscape gained a measure of new protection this month when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order creating a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park that precludes future oil and gas leasing. The decision culminates…

PRESS RELEASE: Lawsuit Targets Timber Sale Threatening Rare Mature Forests, Wildlife in Colorado

| Forest Health, Lands Protection, Press Release, Wildlife | 3 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2023 DOLORES, Colo.— Forest advocates sued the U.S. Forest Service today for violating environmental laws when it approved a nearly 23,000-acre timber sale that would cut large, century-old ponderosa pine trees and threaten wildlife in…