New Mexico Federal Lands Council News

NEW MEXICO FEDERAL LANDS NEWS

by Frank Dubois

A New Presidente

It would appear we have a new President. This will mean new appointments, new administrative policies and new legislative initiatives. What affect will all this have on you?

First, we need to look at appointments to Cabinet-level positions, agency heads and other subcabinet personnel.

The first place to look for clues is the folks appointed to Biden’s transition teams, and the news there does not look promising.

On the Interior Department transition team we see representatives from the Everglades Foundation, Colorado River Sustainability Campaign, Evergreen Foundation, Center For American Progress and various former Obama appointees.

The team leader for the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a representative from Earth, Energy and Democracy.

The team leader for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a representative from Earthjustice, joined by representatives from the Sierra Club, Harvard Environmental and Energy Law Program and Grist Magazine.

On the United States Department of Agriculture team we find representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards, Good Food Institute, Foodcorps, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Can we draw any conclusions from this? I don’t know about you, but it seems very clear to me the enviro-progressives will have a huge impact on the personnel and policies of the Biden Administration.

As I write this column, Biden has announced his Cabinet nominations for the Departments of State, Treasury, Homeland Security, and National Intelligence.

In addition, he has announced a new position, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. His nominee is John Kerry, the primary U.S. negotiator for the Paris Accord while serving as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. The NY Times says ably won’t have that big of an impact on me this appointment, “elevates the issue of or my operation. Well, you better ask yourclimate change to the highest echelons of self the question, “what impact does my government and marks it as an urgent raising beef or mutton on federal land have national security threat.” Tod Stern, a former on climate change”? You may soon have Obama official, says “John Kerry brings your answer. I suspect that in the near unmatched stature, a record of being an future, all government actions, no matter effective, tireless and indefatigable negoti- how large or small, will be run through the ator, a record of profound commitment to gauntlet of a climate change analysis. this issue and an understanding of just what By the time you read this we may know the speed and scale of the transformation who the nominees are to head Interior, needs to be.” And Kerry himself says, USDA and the EPA. Right now all we have is “America will soon have a government that speculation in the media. treats the climate crisis as the urgent Three New Mexicans are reportedly national security threat that it is.” being considered for Secretary of Interior

You might be thinking all this might be – Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, of interest to the Denizens of DC, but prob- and representative Deb Haaland. Udall was considered the front runner by many because of his long friendship with Biden. Plus there is the family tradition. His father, Stewart Udall, was the Secretary of Interior C Bar RANCH during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. More recently, though, Haaland has been endorsed by those opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline, and more than 50 House Democrats are pushing Biden to select Haaland, a move that would for the SLATON, TEXAS Charolais & Angus Bulls TREY WOOD 806/789-7312 first time bring a Native American into the Cabinet. “Representative Deb Haaland is eminently qualified to be Interior Secretary. She has been a champion for our environment and public lands and has worked CLARK WOOD tirelessly to improve the nation-to-nation 806/828-6249 • 806/786-2078 relationship between the United States and Indian tribes,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the transition team, noting their ability to “make history by giving Native Americans a seat at the Cabinet table for the first time.” Udall, who is leaving the Senate in January, asserts that he is still in the running for the role. “Like so many New

Breeding Charolais since 1956 Mexicans, I’m excited about the vision of the incoming Biden-Harris administration and I am honored to be considered for an opportunity to continue my public service” he told one publication. One thing is for sure – none of the three are renowned for their support of livestock grazing on federal land.

We shall persevere, however, and I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. 1460 Penn Road Belleville, KS 66935 Home: 785/527-5047 Cell: 785/527-1269 www.runftcharolais.com • runftmc@nckcn.com Females available by Private Treaty

T&S Bull Sale 3rd Saturday in March 2021 Frank DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, is the author of a blog: The

Private Treaty Anytime 1460 Penn Road, Belleville, KS 66935 Westerner (www.thewesterner.blogspot.com) and is the founder of The DuBois Rodeo Scholarship and The DuBois Western Heritage Foundation ▫

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Tyson Aims to Reduce Deforestation in its Global Supply Chain

by Tom Johnston, meatingplace.com

Tyson Foods Inc. has announced a forest protection standard aimed at reducing deforestation risk in its global supply chain for cattle and beef, among other commodities.

A recent deforestation risk assessment conducted by Proforest found that some 94 percent of Tyson’s land footprint is at no or low risk of being associated with deforestation. The company developed the standard to address the remaining six percent.

“As one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein, we have an important role in protecting forests and other natural ecosystems,” said Dean Banks, Tyson Foods president and CEO, in a news release. “We are asserting our ambition to make protein more sustainable and look forward to working with our supply chain partners, customers and other stakeholders to do our part on this important issue.”

Tyson is currently developing action plans for each commodity area. In addition to cattle and beef, the company is laying out plans for soy; palm oil; and pulp, paper and packaging. The company will report progress on its goals in its annual sustainability report.

Tyson Foods is a member of the United Nations Global Compact and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) and its 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Tyson’s forest protection standard aligns with three SDGs including Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production; Goal 13 - Climate Action; and Goal 15 - Life on Land. ▫

Every Major Bank Has Ruled Out Financing Oil & Gas Exploration in the Arctic by Joseph Guzman, Dec. 1, 2020

Every major bank in the U.S. has now ruled out financing oil and gas exploration in the Arctic after Bank of America became the latest American financial institution to say it would not fund such projects.

The bank has faced increasing pressure from environmentalists to refrain from financing fossil fuel exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) due to the potential impact on the indigenous Gwich’in people and endangered species such as polar bears.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Chase, Wells Fargo and CitiBank announced commitments not to do so earlier this year, and recently, Bloomberg reported Bank of America followed suit.

“There’s been misunderstanding around our position, but we have not historically participated in project finance for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic,” Larry Di Rita, the bank’s head of public policy and strategy in Washington, told the news outlet.

“But given that misinterpretation, we’ve determined that it’s time to codify our existing practice into policy.”

A provision in the 2017 Trump tax bill passed by the Republican-controlled Congress opened ANWR to drilling after years of debate over the matter. In mid-November, the Trump administration launched the formal process of selling oil drilling leases in the region, although it’s unclear if the Bureau of Land Management would be able to complete the process in the remaining time before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office.

Biden has made it clear he’s opposed to drilling in the refuge and has called for permanently protecting the area, as well as bans on new oil and gas permits on public lands and waters. ▫

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