Colorado voters Tuesday passed Proposition 114, the Gray Wolf Reintroduction Initiative, paving the way for gray wolves’ return to the Western Slope. Proposition 114 authorizes the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to create and implement a plan to reintroduce and manage gray wolves on designated lands west of the continental divide, with “paws on the [...]
Search Results for: endangered species
Trump administration drops federal protections for gray wolf
The US Department of the Interior rolled back federal protections for gray wolves on Thursday despite protests from environmentalists. According to the announcement: The gray wolf is the latest in a strong list of recoveries that includes the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, American alligator, brown pelican and 48 other species of animals and plants in [...]
Federal appeals court allows Texas butterfly sanctuary lawsuit over border wall
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled that the Trump administration must face allegations brought by a Texas-based butterfly sanctuary on the US-Mexico border, asserting environmental and constitutional challenges in connection with the federal government’s plans to construct a wall to prevent illegal border crossings. The North American Butterfly Association [...]
Convergence and Chaos: Intersecting Security Threats to the United States
“Everything is very simple in war, but even the simplest thing is difficult.” – Karl von Clausewitz, On War There is palpable wisdom in Clausewitz’s classic observation about war. Where this wisdom is understood in terms of current United States national security challenges, one overarching extrapolation comes immediately to the fore: It would be trouble enough [...]
Ninth Circuit upholds Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears
The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a Montana District Court decision reinstating Endangered Species Act protections for the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone region. In 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) declared grizzly bears a “distinct population segment” and attempted to remove the species from protection under the Endangered [...]
US Supreme Court upholds order to block Keystone XL pipeline
The US Supreme Court stayed the Montana District Court’s vacatur and injunction of pipeline permits on Monday, except as applied to the Keystone XL pipeline. The Supreme Court did not issue a full explanation of its decision. Previously, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the Trump Administration’s request to stay [...]
The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal by the Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Defense Legal Defense Fund and others challenging the constitutionality of the Department of Homeland Security’s waiver of federal, state and local laws in construction of a southern border wall. The Center for Biological Diversity challenged six [...]
Dissecting and Unpacking the USMCA Environmental Provisions: Game-Changer for Green Governance?
Protecting the environment is not an extravagance but rather essential. The COVID-19 crisis with its economic and social impacts has reminded us of events that countries were not adequately prepared to address. Rising environmental issues leave countries vulnerable to diseases and disasters. Countries should always take steps to address environmental issues. International trade agreements like [...]
Federal appeals court denies Trump administration request for Keystone XL Pipeline permit
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday denied the Trump administration’s request to continue Keystone XL Pipeline construction. This decision will delay pipeline construction until the Ninth Circuit renders its final decision. The Ninth Circuit’s denial follows after the Montana District Court revoked construction permits for the Keystone XL Pipeline in [...]
Federal judge cancels Keystone XL pipeline permit over concern for endangered species
Judge Brian Morris, a US District Judge for the District of Montana, canceled a key permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Wednesday. In 2017 the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) reissued Nationwide Permit 12. The permit authorizes “discharges of dredged of fill material into jurisdictional waters” and is necessary for the water-crossings [...]