Conservation

A Desert Owl Takes on a Freeway
Conservation groups in Arizona are suing to stop a freeway project that would destroy essential habitat for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl.

BLM Allocates Funding to Study Renewables Impact on Public Lands
The large-scale study will assess how proposed solar farms and other renewable energy projects could impact animals, plants, and habitats.

GAO: Washington State Slow on Clean Water Reporting
The Clean Water Act mandates reporting of ‘impaired waters’ to support conservation and restoration efforts.

States Scramble in Wake of Clean Water Act Ruling
The removal of federal oversight of wetlands has left millions of acres unregulated and erected major hurdles for lawmakers seeking to protect them.

Feds Weigh Expansion of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
The White House is sending a top-level cabinet member who oversees the U.S. Forest Service to the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles to hear public comments on the proposed expansion the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Misuse of Environmental Laws Betrays Their Intent
How laws written to protect natural resources and biodiversity are being reinterpreted by NIMBY groups to block development.

The Importance of Dark Skies
Why light pollution harms humans and the environment.

New Law Makes California's 30x30 Goal Official
Governor Newsom just signed SB 337, codifying the state's goal to conserve at least 30 percent of California's lands and coastal waters by the year 2030.

The Resiliency of Urban Wildlife
A wide-ranging research study highlights the various qualities that make animal species living in urban environments thrive—and how biodiversity improves the health of our cities.

Celebrating and Protecting Biodiversity
Park and recreation agencies have an important role to play in safeguarding biodiversity. Learn more about how they contribute to the preservation of diverse ecosystems.

Celebrating California's Biodiversity
This year marks the fifth annual California Biodiversity Day, established in 2018 to celebrate and encourage actions to protect the state’s exceptional biodiversity.

Public Lands in the United States, Part Two: The Conservation Turn and ‘America’s Best Idea’
As Western expansion reached its geographic terminus, the U.S. government began tightening rules around land use and designating protected areas such as national parks and wilderness areas, often displacing local Native Americans in favor of a Wester

How Noise Pollution Impacts Nature
Overly loud noise isn’t just a public health risk for humans.

Growing Support for Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
Members of Congress are proposing an expansion to the national monument by over 109,000 acres, increasing its size by nearly a third.

Who Benefits Most from Land Conservation Efforts?
A new study estimates that recent land conservation generated $9.8 billion in wealth nationally through the housing market and that wealthier and White households benefited disproportionately.

Public Lands in the United States, Part One: “Redeemed From Wilderness”
This is part one in a blog series examining the history of public lands in the United States and their shifting role in the American psyche.

Supreme Court Limits Clean Water Act’s Power
A recent ruling ‘dramatically’ restricts the law’s reach when it comes to protecting wetlands.

Conservation Easement Program Protects 100,000 Acres of Agricultural Land in New York State
A state famous for its largest city is making a concerted effort to protect agricultural lands as part of a larger national push.

The Nation’s Most Endangered Rivers
An annual list from American Rivers highlights the waterways most at risk from climate change, poor water management, pollution, and other dangers.

Public Lands Rule Would Center Conservation
After decades of protecting extractive interests, federal law could reverse course and put conservation on par with other uses.
Pagination
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