The Mountain Pact March 2026 Conservation Update and Action Items

[The Mountain Pact]

View this email in your browser March 2026 Conservation Update Greetings from The Mountain Pact, and happy beginning of spring! This month we’ve been hard at work defending the public lands we all rely on. We monitored the ongoing nomination process for anti-public lands crusader Steve Pearce to head the Bureau of Land Management, and pushed back against reckless plans to use the Congressional Review Act to unwind management plans that protect critical public spaces like Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We also celebrated as some western state - Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon - passed pro-public lands resolutions this month. We’re excited about the momentum we’re building, and will never stop fighting to defend the public lands we call home. THE MOUNTAIN PACT NEWS Continued Opposition to Pearce's Nomination to Direct BLM Our press release was picked up by Hey SO Cal and NPR with quotes from and interviews with some of the western local elected officials we work with, warning of dire potential consequences for America’s public lands should President Trump’s nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management, Steve Pearce, be confirmed to the position.  Please consider voicing your opposition to having anti-public lands extremist running our federal agencies.   Let Anna know if you would like to be quoted in upcoming releases.  Continued Coverage of Wildfire Mitigation Letter News of our letter from over 160 elected officials calling on their state attorneys general to hold the federal government accountable for its reckless gutting of our nation’s wildfire preparedness continued to make waves. The letter was covered by the Arizona Republic.   FILL OUT PUBLIC LANDS IN CRISIS SURVEY We want to hear from you! We’re conducting a brief survey regarding how staffing cut and actions have impacted our public lands and local communities. Please consider completing this survey, which should only take 5-10 minutes, to help us better understand how cuts are impacting public lands near you. MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY NEWS CLIMATE America’s national parks face an uncertain future as climate risks mount. Double danger? Climate change, El Niño push Earth 'beyond its limits'. The affordability crunch is pushing Democrats to scale back climate ambitions. EPA moves to weaken limits on a cancer-causing gas. WILDFIRE In ski towns, a bad snow year is worsening wildfire fears. Utah records 31 wildfires just three months in 2026. Interior moves nearly 4,000 firefighters to new fire service. USDA says it needs roads to fight wildfires, but a new study says roads bring more fire to forests. The season of wildfire dread. DROUGHT AND FLOODING In the West, snow drought is pushing cross-country ski areas closer to a breaking point. 'Unprecedented' snow drought sets up extreme wildfires for Western U.S. in 2026. How a new 'conservation pool' could provide a way forward for Colorado River users. TOURISM and OUTDOOR RECREATION Getting Americans outside added 5 million jobs and $1.3 trillion to the economy in 2024, before staffing and budget cuts came for national parks. American outdoor recreation economy tops $1.3 trillion, with Colorado again in the top 10 states. Federal report: Utah’s outdoor recreation economy continues to grow, reaches $9.75 billion. America’s most popular national parks in 2025 revealed in new data. This termination is very different’: Advocates question why timed-entry was cancelled at Arches National Park. Grand Canyon's famous Rim-to-Rim trail likely won't reopen for years. What displays get scrapped at America’s parks? It looks like anyone’s guess. Trump admin targets 1 million acres of California public lands for drilling, putting Yosemite’s backyard at risk. As the BLM in Moab opens hundreds of miles of trails to e-bikes, Colorado land managers also weigh expansion. National Park Service database flags hundreds of items that might 'disparage' America. Utah national parks flagged 37 items for potential removal under Trump order. HOUSING Silverton leads Colorado in new affordable housing commitment, but mountain towns still face a housing crisis. How Breckenridge reserved almost 75% of its full-time housing for workforce. PUBLIC LANDS Opinion: Further proof is coming: Idaho can’t afford a federal lands grab. Opinion: Public lands are Wyoming’s legacy. Let’s keep them that way. Bill to transfer 124 acres of public land for Utah reservoir moves forward after Mike Lee agrees to 'reversion' clause. Colorado's acquisition of historic ranch a win for wildlife and public land access. Editorial: Public lands face growing threat from privatization agenda. Roadless areas provide 10 times better elk hunting and support the best trout streams in the West. After Trump’s interior secretary transferred thousands of staff to his office, chaos followed, former workers say. Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon state legislatures all passed pro-public lands resolutions this month, and the Idaho resolution has passed in one chamber: Wyoming: A turning point for public lands and the businesses they support and After U.S. Senate proposed selling public lands, Wyoming lawmakers send D.C. a message: 'No' Colorado: Judy Amabile: We must do everything possible to safeguard the public lands that make Colorado special. Oregon: Bill banning Oregon from helping privatize federal lands passes. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Trump nominee to lead BLM dodges questions on whether he supports public land sales. Federal nominee Steve Pearce says he won't sell public lands. Some are less sure. Environmentalists doubt Trump BLM pick’s vow to protect public lands he’s long wanted sold.  BLM’s strategy for greater sage-grouse prompts federal lawsuit by conservation groups. BLM acquires trophy inholding in Colorado's Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. BLM proposal to log Oregon old growth forests up for public comment. Steve Pearce promises protections, critics cite history of attempts to sell public land. National opinion: Steve Pearce endangers Arizona’s lands and livelihoods. Use of the Congressional Review Act on Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument The Utah Congressional Delegation introduced resolutions ( H.J.Res.151 / S.J.Res.109) of disapproval in the Senate and House under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) seeking to overturn the current Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Resource Management Plan, which was finalized in January 2025. If both chambers of Congress pass the resolution, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be barred from issuing another plan that is “substantially the same” in the future. This will be a major escalation of CRA use and the first attempt ever to use this blunt legislative tool to attack a national monument.  Please let us know if you are interested in speaking out about this! NATIONAL MONUMENTS Utah monument could be the latest target of a law to undo public lands decisions. Sen. Mike Lee looks to Congressional Review Act to toss Grand Staircase management plan. California Democrats respond to César Chávez sexual abuse allegations. Defenders of Chuckwalla National Monument rally to save it. Conservation groups fight to protect Chuckwalla National Monument. Opinion: Colorado’s public lands are not for sale. Opinion: Don’t let Congress abuse policy to give away public lands. Mining industry rallies Republicans to urge Trump to let them open mines on protected land. Geologist crowdfunds to continue critical Bears Ears research after federal funding cuts. Indigenous and conservation groups voice concerns about congressional effort to undo monument RMP. Bears Ears resource management plan could be Utah lawmakers’ next target using Congressional Review Act. Why Mike Lee is waging war against America’s public lands.  Editorial - Public lands face growing threat from GOP’s privatization agenda. WILDLIFE Colorado bill to ban the killing of beavers adds to contentious wildlife debate. Yellowstone rangers spot first grizzly of the season. Burgum to convene 'God Squad' to override endangered species protections. In a wild corner of the West, elk are everywhere and causing conflict. Utah’s new study aims to kill ‘as many cougars as possible’. ENERGY DEVELOPMENT RENEWABLE ENERGY Trump administration to pay $1 billion to energy giant to cancel offshore wind farms. FOSSIL FUELS and EXTRACTION ON PUBLIC LANDS Company eyes Wyoming for massive crude oil pipeline. New lawsuit aims to halt expansion of a Montana coal mine and 'energy emergency' used to justify it. Proposed USFS plan would require continuous logging on three Montana forests. Coal and natural gas prices jump on Middle East war, Energy secretary warns high gas prices will last for weeks. Thank you for your interest in, and participation with, the Mountain Pact! Founded in 2014, The Mountain Pact mobilizes bi-partisan local elected officials in over 150 Western mountain communities with outdoor recreation based economies to speak with a collective voice on federal climate, public lands, and outdoor recreation policy. Read this and past versions of other Mountain Pact updates here. www.themountainpact.org | in...@themountainpact.org Check us out on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/themountainpact.bsky.social SUPPORT Copyright ©2026 The Mountain Pact, All rights reserved. The Mountain Pact is fiscally sponsored by the Sierra Business Council Our mailing address is: PO Box 2428 Truckee, CA 96160 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.