skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, April 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

At least 4 killed in Oklahoma tornado outbreak; 10 shot outside Florida bar; AZ receives millions of dollars for solar investments; Maine prepares young people for climate change-related jobs, activism; Feds: Grocery chain profits soared during and after a pandemic.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ukraine receives much-needed U.S. aid, though it's just getting started. Protesting college students are up in arms about pro-Israel stances. And, end-of-life care advocates stand up for minors' gender-affirming care in Montana.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

More rural working-age people are dying young compared to their urban counterparts, the internet was a lifesaver for rural students during the pandemic but the connection has been broken for many, and conservationists believe a new rule governing public lands will protect them for future generations.

Report Highlights 50 Years of Conservation Success

play audio
Play

Thursday, September 10, 2015   

DENVER - It's not a household name, but The Land and Water Conservation Fund may be one of the most successful conservation programs in the nation's history, according to a new report.

The fund is set to expire in 20 days unless Congress moves to reauthorize the program. David Nickum, executive director with Colorado Trout Unlimited, says Coloradans have skin in the game on this one since 90 percent of the state's residents enjoy outdoor recreation.

"If you have gone hunting or fishing on our public lands, if you have gone to a community park in your home town, if you have gone camping around the state, odds are at some point you've been benefiting from Land and Water Conservation Fund," says Nickum.

The fund was created with bipartisan support in 1964 to protect America's natural resources using royalties from oil and gas companies drilling offshore. The fund has helped preserve iconic Colorado landscapes such as Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde and Rocky Mountain national parks.

Nickum says the fund also is critical to Colorado because outdoor recreation contributes more than $34 billion annually to the state's economy and more than 300,000 jobs. He says the Land and Water Conservation Fund helps connect skiers to slopes, and helps hunters and anglers access the state's wilderness areas and rivers.

"So it's really directly investing into protecting lands or providing facilities and resources for outdoor recreation," says Nickum. "That's the whole premise of the program and it's what it's done very well for the last 50 years."

Nickum notes the fund's success stories range from transforming urban spaces into nature and science centers for kids to flood recovery on the Big Thompson River in 1976, protecting floodplains that saved $16 million in property damage during the 2013 floods. Congress has 20 days to decide whether or not to extend the program's conservation efforts for future generations.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some groups see disproportionately high rates of suicide, including veterans, racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Rates of suicide among young people have increased by about 36% in roughly the last two decades and the surge has caught the attention of federal poli…


play sound

Members of Nebraska's LGBTQ+ community and their supporters saw positive actions at both the state and federal level this month. At the state level…

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri residents are gaining new insights into the powerful role of food in health care as experts and organizations advocate for a shift toward foo…


New Mexico is the second sunniest state in the nation after Arizona, creating maximum opportunities for solar development. (KristinaBlokhin/AdobeStock)

Environment

play sound

New federal funding aims to revolutionize solar energy access within New Mexico's Native American communities and benefit the state overall. The …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Nevada health-care providers, patients and advocates are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court case that'll determine the future of the Emergency …

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is advocating for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act expansion, currently awaiting House approval…

Environment

play sound

State officials in Maine are preparing the next generation for climate change-related activism and careers. A new state-run website helps young …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021