The Mountain Pact strives to keep our constituents informed on federal public lands, climate, and conservation policies that are relevant to western mountain communities. Below is a compilation of news alerts, policy, and campaign updates. Subscribe to receive these alerts.

2018 Accomplishments

In 2018, The Mountain Pact was hard at work highlighting the voices of western mountain communities on federal policies related to public lands, climate, wildfire, outdoor recreation, and other conservation issues. We thank you for your passion, dedication, and continued support of The Mountain Pact. Your partnerships make this work possible. What a year 2018 has been and we are excited to share with you some highlights that made 2018 year special!

Secretary Zinke Resigns From the Department of Interior

On Saturday, December 15, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke resigned amidst numerous ethics investigations after losing White House support.

New Proposals Threaten Millions of Acres of Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat

On Thursday, December 6, the Trump Administration released new proposals that will roll back protections for the greater sage-grouse and open up 9 million acres of public lands to oil and gas leasing.

Trump Administration Releases Two Climate Reports--What You Can Do To Help

On Friday, November 23, the day after Thanksgiving which is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the Trump Administration
released two reports detailing climate change impacts in the United
States. Although the timing of the release has been called into question, the message is clear; government scientists are ringing the alarm bell on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change impacts.

December BLM Oil and Gas Lease Sale Updates

On September 21, 2018, a federal judge ruled that the
public must have more say in oil and gas lease sales. Chief
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush of the District of Idaho
issued a decision that the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) cannot lawfully circumvent the public input requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).

BLM Needs to Hear from you on the Bears Ears National Monument Draft Management Plan

On August 17, 2018, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) opened up a 90-day public comment period regarding the draft management plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The November 15 comment deadline is quickly approaching, and it is important that the BLM hears from the public.

ACT NOW: October 26th Comment Deadline for Proposed EPA CAFE Standards

In August 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for mileage year 2021-2026 passenger vehicles and light trucks. The proposed rule would freeze fuel economy standards at 2020 levels rather than having the standards become more stringent as was defined under the original rule which would have worked to address climate change by significantly reducing vehicle emissions.

Congressional Inaction Allows 50 Year Old Conservation Program to Expire

Tomorrow, Tuesday October 2, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee is scheduled to mark up a bipartisan bill that would permanently reauthorize America's most successful conservation and recreation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

New BLM Methane Rule Reverses 2016 Methane Waste Prevention Rule and Environmental Safeguards

On September 18, 2018 the Department of Interior (DOI) announced that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had finalized their new Methane Waste Prevention Rule, reversing all pollution prevention measures that had been laid out in the 2016 Obama era Methane Waste Prevention Rule.

Royalty Policy Committee to Discuss Energy on Public Lands

On September 13, 2018, The Royalty Policy Committee (RPC or Committee) will be meeting for the fourth time since it was established by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in April 2017. The meeting will be held in Denver, CO and the Committee will be discussing how resources produced on public lands are valued.

Save LWCF: Why Congress Must Act

The bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is one of
America's most successful conservation programs. However, in
just over a month it is set to expire unless Congress acts to reauthorize it.

Funding for Conservation and the Nat'l Park Service Maintenance Backlog

The National Park Service (NPS) currently has a nearly $12 billion
deferred maintenance backlog that has built up due to years of
inadequate funding to fix maintenance needs. It will only get worse unless Congress can agree on a way to provide funding to address these needs.

Fully fund and permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund

The bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is one of
our most successful conservation programs. By drawing funds from
offshore oil and gas royalties, not taxpayers, the LWCF funds projects to expand, develop, and improve public lands for recreational areas, conservation, and the preservation
of natural ecosystems.

The Mountain Pact Brings Mountain Community Voices to Washington, D.C.

In April, 2018, The Mountain Pact went to Washington D.C. to meet with Western Senators and Representatives, the USDA/Forest Service and Department of Interior leadership to discuss the importance of balanced public lands management to the economic and cultural well-being of our mountain communities.

Reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monuments Management Plans

On December 4, 2017, President Trump traveled to Utah to proclaim that he would cut Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly half - the largest reductions to federal public land protections in history.

BLM Methane Waste Rule

In 2016 the Obama Administration's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Methane Waste Prevention Rule that would regulate methane leaking and flaring from natural gas wells on BLM managed public lands. Now, the Trump Administration has been working to eliminate this rule.

Fire Funding Fix Passes in 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill

The Mountain Pact is excited to share that Congress has added new directives to how the federal government budgets for the suppression of large wildfires in the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill which President Trump signed today, Friday, March 23, 2018.

The Case For Balanced Public Lands Use: One Year Into the Trump Administration's Energy Dominance Agenda

On Secretary Zinke's one year in office, The Mountain Pact released a report detailing the Administration's continued attacks on public lands and how this is impacting mountain communities. This report discusses the need for updated royalty and leasing rules on public lands to account for multiple uses such as conservation and outdoor recreation that support mountain town economies. Accompanying this report is an op-ed from the new Mountain Pact Executive Director Anna Peterson calling for balanced management of public lands that factors in the voices of mountain communities.

Outdoor Industry Valued at Two Percent of Overall U.S. Economy

In February 14, 2018 the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released a prototype report detailing the contribution of the outdoor recreation industry to the overall United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This report has been nearly two years in the making since the passage of the Outdoor REC (Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact) Act in 2016 and in 2017 The Mountain Pact led a large effort to ensure that this report was completed in a timely manner so that these official numbers could be used to further support mountain communities.

The Mountain Pact Welcomes Our New Executive Director

Originally from Minnesota, Anna has lived in many of the West's mountain towns including Bend, OR, Missoula, MT, and most recently in her current home of ten years - Durango, CO.