The Economics of Public Lands
The over 640 million acres of federal public land benefit wildlife, recreation enthusiasts, and local residents every single day. They provide wildlife habitat, drinking water, and opportunities to challenge ourselves in the outdoors. Despite these many values, some state legislatures and members of Congress think that public lands are little more than a real estate deal […]
HUNT Act Would Open Locked Public Lands
Recreating outdoors—whether you fish, hunt, hike, camp, or all of the above—is not only a ton of fun, it’s also good for you. There is considerable evidence the exercise involved with these activities, coupled with the de-stressing benefits of being in nature, promote physical and mental health. For a majority of Americans, participating in their […]
Coloradans Want Browns Canyon to be the Next National Monument
For Bill Dvorak, permanent protection for southern Colorado’s Browns Canyon has been a long time coming. Dvorak is the National Wildlife Federation’s public lands organizer in Colorado He’s also one of the best-known outfitters in the state and has been leading fishing and rafting trips down the Arkansas River since the early 1980s. Some of the […]
Smart Renewable Energy on Public Lands
Guest post by Hayley Connolly-Newman Earlier this month, the EPA issued guidelines which would reduce coal generated power in each state by 6 percent over the next 15 years. This would give states the opportunity to reduce carbon emission amounts by choosing from other types of energy such as natural gas or renewable resources to […]
Take a Stand for Public Lands
This is the time of year when I spend my weekends in the National Forest on Oregon’s north coast. I am in search of elk. Come November, Oregon’s western rifle season is a mere four days in length, which gives me 361 days to prepare. There is a calm anticipation that I feel hiking […]
Bright Future for Renewables on Public Lands
This week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctioned off its first lease in a designated Solar Energy Zone. The Dry Lake project in Nevada is the first of 19 identified sites to be auctioned, and a shining symbol of the potential for renewable development on public lands. Congress can build on this momentum and give another […]
Time to Go On Offense to Protect Our Cherished Public Lands
Unlike most every other country, America has a huge backyard. The federal public lands of the western United States are the equivalent of a giant commons that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re a New Englander sightseeing in the Grand Canyon while on vacation or a Wyoming resident fishing the backcountry of your home state, western […]
Wildlife Funding Diverted to Fight Wildfires
Just last month, fire crews rescued a group of wolf pups from the almost 200,000 acre Funny River Fire in Alaska. Firefighters found the puppies in the blaze after hearing them yipping, and they are now being cared for at the Alaska Zoo. Large wildfires can directly impact the wildlife that depend on our public lands and open spaces […]
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument: Established From the Grassroots Up
People from all backgrounds and political leanings have really put the “public” in “public lands” in New Mexico. For more than a decade, ranchers, business owners, church and civic leaders, Native Americans, sportsmen and women, wildlife advocates, hikers, campers, politicians and many others have built support from the ground up for establishing the Organ Mountains-Desert […]
Today is Kids to Parks Day!
Where I grew up, in the suburbs of New York City, we didn’t have easy access to what everyone thinks of as America’s iconic parks—getting to Yellowstone or Yosemite required a long plane ride, and we were much more likely to run into a squirrel in our backyard than a bison or an antelope. But […]