Biden Western Solar Plan will sacrifice 22 million public land acres to fight climate change

“The American public could embrace this latest evolution of our shared domain. Or we could reject further industrial development of our public lands and instead preserve them for the sake of wildlife habitat, healthy ecosystems and scenic hikes — while requiring renewable energy companies to find other places to build. So which should we choose: clean energy or conservation?

Right now, President Biden is trying to thread the needle. The Biden administration released its long-awaited Western Solar Plan last month, laying out a vision for where sprawling solar farms should be allowed — and where they should be blocked — across 11 Western states, including California. The plan covers 162 million acres overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and tentatively concludes that companies should be able to propose solar projects across 22 million acres — an area roughly the size of Maine… ” — L.A. Times climate correspondent Sammy Roth

In Episode 414 of District of Conservation, Gabriella discusses the updated DOI/BLM Western Solar Plan and its six proposals – including one to raze down 22 million public land acres across 11 states – to catalyze utility-scale solar projects. The affected states would be: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Tune in to learn about this problematic plan.

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EP 531: From Outdoor Storyteller to Montana Knife Company (ft. Jessica Byers) – District of Conservation

In Episode 531 of District of Conservation, Gabriella interviews Jessica Byers – brand relations manager at Montana Knife Company. Jessica discusses her journey from outdoor content creator to representing one of the most unique knife companies in the outdoor industry. Jessica discusses building her FollowerHerArrow brand, working with outdoor companies, creating content, if she worries about AI, why she paused her storytelling work to take a job at Montana Knife Company, why MKC is an industry leader in knives, how MKC promotes conservation, and more. Tune in to learn more!SHOW NOTESFollow Jessica online and Facebook, Instagram, YouTubeMontana Knife Company & Facebook, InstagramMKC Conservation Efforts