The Trump regime offered more than 150,000 acres of public lands for fossil-fuel extraction near Utah’s most iconic landscapes, including Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
Additionally, the government through the BLM has leased public lands for fracking near Bears Ears, Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Fracking in these areas threatens sensitive plants and animals. It will worsen the air pollution problems in the Uintah Basin and use an incredible amount of groundwater. Utah just experienced its driest year in recorded history.
This auction is part of a larger Trump regime agenda to ramp up fossil fuel extraction on public lands, threatening public health and the climate. This year the BLM has offered more than 400,000 acres of public land in Utah for oil and gas extraction. The agency will auction another 215,000 acres in March of next year. The Trump regime also has issued new policies to shorten the length of the public comment period and avoid more substantial environmental reviews.
Photo: “Desert Pastel” by Ian D. Keating is licensed under CC BY 2.0
ANARCHIMEDIA 