September CLiF Notes: Your Public Lands News Round-Up

Letter From Our Chief Communications Officer

National Public Lands Day reminds us how much these places need our care. This year, our Friends Grassroots Network celebrated with trail work, cleanups, and community gatherings, and more events are coming this fall. Thank you to everyone who showed up!

That care matters more than ever. In this issue, you'll find out how to speak up for the Western Arctic before Nov. 9, get a first look at our new Public Lands Attack Tracker, and see why mining claims are already landing in Bears Ears. We're also inviting you to find moments of joy, make a plan to vote in the November election, and more.

Caribou in the Western Arctic AK | Florian Schulz, ProtectTheArctic.org

Speak Up for the Western Arctic

The Bureau of Land Management has opened a second public comment period on its plan to eliminate environmental reviews for oil and gas development in America's Western Arctic (also called the NPR-A), one of the most climate-critical landscapes on Earth and home to Indigenous communities who have called these lands home for thousands of years, and huge caribou herds rely on for subsistence.

Why it matters: The proposal, originating from the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, will rubber-stamp future oil and gas projects in the region, forcing the agency to issue blanket permits in as little as 60 days instead of evaluating each oil and gas project’s individual impact on wildlife, water, or the people who live there. This rule change will open the floodgates for massive oil and gas development, lock in irreparable damage in the Western Arctic, and create precedent for fast-tracked permitting in the lower 48 states.

Take Action: We have until November 9 to make our voice heard, and if you commented in the first round, please comment again.

New: Public Lands Attack Tracker

The 250 million acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management are under attack, and much of it is happening quietly through new rules, budget cuts, and small policy changes that are designed to confuse and overwhelm us watchdogs. Each public land attack adds up to millions of acres destroyed, Indigenous culture and connection severed, public access blocked, and more industrial development on public lands that belongs to all of us.

What's new: Our Public Lands Attack Tracker is designed to make sure elected officials, media, and the public don’t lose sight of the cumulative impacts these actions are having on public lands.

Bears Ears National Monument, UT | Bob Wick

The Latest in Utah

Despite overwhelming public support in Utah to protect Bears Ears National Monument, 72 mining claims have now been filed on land that was part of the monument before President Trump cut it and Grand Staircase-Escalante by more than 90% in July.

On Sept. 11, the mining ban on the land he removed from the monuments expired, opening roughly 2.9 million acres to new claims. We expect more claims will follow until protections are restored.

A new poll of registered Utah voters found:

• Two-thirds (66%) of Utah voters say greater protections should be restored to all of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
• 82% of Utah voters say it is important for Native Nations to have a strong role in managing public lands containing sacred or culturally significant sites.

It’s clear that voters across party lines want these monuments protected. If you haven’t yet sent an email to your members of Congress and President Trump, please do so today.

💚 Thank you to everyone who helped the Conservation Lands Foundation meet a generous financial match pooled by our Board and Emeritus Board members. Your support fuels our work to defend national monuments on the ground,  in court, and in the halls of Congress.

Why Joy Belongs in the Movement to Protect Public Lands

The attacks on public lands keep coming, and the work of defending them can be exhausting. That's why our latest Community Conversation, "Celebrating Joy and Public Lands," focused on something we need more of: the joy that brings people outdoors and keeps them in this work for the long haul.

Watch the recording of the conversation below:

Thank you to everyone who joined our virtual conversation and special appreciation to our presenters: Karin Jaffie from Friends of the Desert Mountains, Jade Stevens from 40 Acre Conservation League, Teresa Baker from In Solidarity Project, and our very own Senior Program Director, Bertha Gutierrez.

Join our Protect Joy campaign: The conversation launched our new Protect Joy social media campaign, and we invite you to join in on the fun! Tell us about the moment, place, or people that bring you joy on public lands by posting on social media using the hashtag #ProtectJoy and tagging @conservationlands.

Now Hiring

We're hiring a California Associate Program Director to strengthen our Friends Grassroots Network and support public lands campaigns in California. The position is remote, and we're looking for someone who lives in California, ideally in the southern part of the state.

If you know a California public lands advocate who'd be a great fit, please share our job posting. Applications are due October 19.

Your Public Lands, Your Vote

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Make sure you have a plan to vote.

Why it matters: Some of us hike the canyons, some hunt the high desert, and some just like knowing wild places are still out there. Whatever public lands mean to you, we all want the same thing: land, water, and wildlife protected for the next generation.

What to do:

• Check your registration at vote.gov. It takes about two minutes.
• Know your deadlines. Registration cutoffs, mail ballots, and early voting are different in every state.
• Make a plan. Decide when, where, and how you'll vote, and bring a friend.

The bottom line: Public lands belong to all of us. Make sure your voice counts on November 3.

Your Public Lands, Your Vote

October 8 is DAF Day, a national celebration of generosity through Donor Advised Funds. If the world feels a little uncertain right now, your giving doesn't have to be. A DAF lets you make your contribution, enjoy the tax benefits right away, then take your time deciding where those dollars will do the most good (though we hope you'll think of the Conservation Lands Foundation!).

Keep in mind that December 31 is the deadline for a gift to count toward your 2026 tax deduction. Processing can take time, especially for stock, real estate, and other non-cash assets, so giving early is the surest way to avoid a delay. Every situation is different, so please check with your tax advisor about what makes sense for you.



Learn more on our website.

Trail Snacks

🎉Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Meet Bertha Gutierrez, our Senior Program Director, who hopes her journey into conservation will inspire more Latinas and Latinos to join the movement.

🐸 What’s only two inches long with a chorus that reaches more than a mile? Read more about the Pacific chorus frog from our California-based Friends Network partner, Tuleyome.

🪏The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, part of our Friends Network, partnered with the Pueblo of Zuni for a day of service clearing debris left by  summer flooding in New Mexico. Together they hauled out 3,580 pounds of trash!

🐻 Fat Bear Week is here! Some of the biggest brown bears on Earth are fattening up for winter at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Now you can vote for the chonkiest of them all.

Header Photo: Western Arctic, AK | Bob Wick