Public Lands/Wilderness Stories
- Dangerous floods loom following Montana wildfires The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has issued flood alerts following wildfires burning huge swaths of the state. Floods are more likely after fires because there is less vegetation on the land to absorb water. At least 64 wildfires are burning in Montana right now and the […]
- EPA clean-car standards projected to bring $100B annual benefits Clean-air advocates in Colorado are celebrating new EPA standards, which they believe can play a major role in reducing air pollution impacting national parks and Colorado's Front Range communities. The rule aims to cut more than seven billion tons of greenhouse gases by requiring carmakers to […]
- Forest Corps battles wildfire crisis, gets Utah's young people involved The federal government is looking to combat the climate crisis and protect public lands in Utah and around the country by empowering young adults. Ken Goodson, director of the National Civilian Community Corps for AmeriCorps, said its newly launched partnership with the U.S. Forest Service […]
- BLM moves to sync oil and gas management with state big-game protections The federal Bureau of Land Management has published a new plan for managing public lands which will put oil and gas management in sync with Colorado's big-game conservation policies. Suzanne O'Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, said the proposed final plan, […]
- First win-win for affordable housing, public lands Environmentalists are applauding a Bureau of Land Management decision to allow the sale of a small national public land parcel for an affordable housing development. The sale of public lands is controversial, with Republicans and conservative groups seeing states as preferable stewards. Conversely, Democrats and conservation groups argued […]
- Feds send $27 million to improve recreation at NW forests More than $27 million is coming to upgrade forests in the Northwest for recreation. The investment is the latest round of funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, which was passed in 2020 and established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. The […]
- Report: CA giant sequoia groves in peril after megafires Two new studies find that without sustained intervention, California may permanently lose big sections of old-growth giant sequoia groves. The majestic trees only grow on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Since 2015, 20% of them have died, mostly in three megafires in 2020 and […]
- Coalition: Mine threatens Montana's iconic Smith River Nearly 10,000 Montanans have petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to prevent mining activity in the iconic Smith River watershed. The Smith is known for its majestic views and numerous wildlife species but it is also a huge draw for outdoor enthusiasts seeking to "disconnect." The Smith River Public […]