The Fiscal Cliff and Ohio
If you’ve been reading Wildlife Promise lately, you know that the impending fiscal cliff—which includes “sequestration,” a series of automatic budget cuts that will kick in starting in January unless Congress acts—could be pretty awful for wildlife (and people, too). These cuts will have a huge and devastating impact on conservation programs that safeguard wildlife, ensure our […]
Drilling Impacts on Public Lands Missing from Presidential Debate
A spirited exchange at this week’s Presidential debate centered around energy development on public lands, specifically oil and gas drilling. Per usual, fact checkers immediately began investigating the claims by both Governor Romney and President Obama. What was completely lost in the discussion is that increasing oil drilling in the United States will not bring down prices at […]
What Would Presidential Candidates Do To Protect America’s Public Lands?
Mitt Romney has launched Sportsmen for Romney, following Barack Obama’s Sportsmen for Obama effort. But will either campaign speak directly to the concerns of America’s outdoor enthusiasts? I called Land Tawney, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for sportsmen leadership based in our Northern Rockies and Prairies Regional Center in Missoula, MT, for his take. “Sportsmen are […]
Weekly News Roundup – October 12, 2012
Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news: Letter to Attorney General: Hold BP Accountable October 10 – Today the National Wildlife Federation called on Attorney General Eric Holder to ensure BP is held fully responsible for its involvement in the 2010 Gulf […]
Weekly News Roundup – October 05, 2012
Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news: NWF: Reducing Keystone XL to a Sound Bite Distorts Facts October 3 – As surrogates for the presidential campaign candidates jockey for position ahead of tonight’s first debate, the facts about the controversial Keystone XL tar […]
Chimney Rock, America’s New National Monument
Chimney Rock, one of America’s unique natural wonders, received a special designation today from President Obama—it is our nation’s newest National Monument. Native Americans, conservationists, preservationists, and local business owners are excited by this decision, and for good reason. By using the Antiquities Act authority to proclaim Chimney Rock a National Monument, President Obama has protected […]
Voters Across the Political Spectrum Agree: Kids Need to Get Outdoors
While Congress hasn’t agreed on much these days, those who elected them sure have. A national poll of voters from a wide variety of regions, backgrounds and political leanings has indicated that 82 percent of the electorate, conservatives, liberals and moderates alike, believes that the phenomenon of the plugged-in, sedentary, indoor childhood is a “serious” […]
Speak up to Protect Wildlife from Capitol Hill’s Top 4 Environmental Attacks this Week
Extra extra! Detroit River Catches on Fire… Thousands Extinct in the Everglades… No Public Access Allowed on Lake Champlain… Bogus headlines? For the moment yes but these hypothetical events move closer to reality this week with the legislative agendas of the House and Senate. Clean-Air and Water-Act-gutting, public-land-drilling, habitat-destroying bills and amendments stain everything from […]
Digitizing the Outdoors: Can Gaming be the Gateway to Nature?
Children today are spending alarming amounts of their time indoors and in front of screens—7.5 hours per day on electronic devices. Research suggests that ADHD and other behavioral issues are lessened when children spend time in the outdoors. Most notably, Richard Louv, author of The Last Child in the Woods and architect of the term Nature […]
Playing in the Shadow of the Washington Monument: Office Softball in a National Park [VIDEO]
Coaching my office softball team, The Scrubjays, is one of the best perks of my job here in Washington, DC. Every week in the summer we walk down to the National Mall, set up a field, and play softball against teams from other national conservation organizations under the shadow of the Washington Monument. Watching the […]