Public Lands/Wilderness / Public News Service

According to the Bureau of Land Management, there are more than 200,000 abandoned mine sites in Arizona, about 20,000 located on public land. (John Chandler Media/Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 26, 2022

Report: Reclaiming Abandoned, Degraded Lands Benefits Economy, Climate

A new study found reclaiming abandoned mines and other degraded lands could bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the U.S. economy, fight climate …

Fans of solitude say the route density in Labyrinth Canyon can make it difficult to escape the noise of motorized vehicles. (Bureau of Land Management)

Groups Urge BLM to Keep Off-Road Vehicles Out of Labyrinth Canyon

Conservation groups say more needs to be done to protect the natural and cultural resources of Utah's Labyrinth Canyon from off-road vehicles…

Elementary school students on a field trip marvel at the size of a redwood tree. (Victoria Reeder)

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

As California's children settle into the new school year, about 1,500 students will soon take the field trip of a lifetime to see the giant redwoods…

Crater Lake National Park covers more than 180,000 acres in southern Oregon. (aiisha/Adobe Stock)

Public Lands Day Celebrates 'Spectacular' Landmarks in OR, U.S.

Saturday is National Public Lands Day, a celebration of national parks in the United States. People will be able to access national park lands for …

Researchers warn that as climate change increases wildfire areas in snow zones throughout the West, the wildfire influence on the snowpack also will grow. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wildfires Expanding Into Snow Zones Will Impact Water Supplies

Wildfires in Wyoming and across the West are creating bigger impacts on snowpack supplying farms, energy production and drinking water for millions …

Families hike in the mountains near Riverside, Calif. (Hispanic Access Foundation)

For Hispanic Heritage Month, People Reconnect with Public Lands

Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week and runs through mid-October, and conservation groups are encouraging people to celebrate by getting the …

The Yuman and Mojave peoples believe that all life began at Spirit Mountain, known as Avi Kwa Ame. (Ken Lund/Flickr)

Celebrate Public Lands Day In the Great Outdoors

This week you can visit a sacred mountain, help clean up a park, and more to honor Public Lands Day, which is this Saturday. Conservation groups are …

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. The swamp's wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw thousands of visitors each year. (Moultrie Creek/Wikimedia Commons)

Environmental Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Environmental groups are calling on Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to reject permits to build a titanium mine near an intact freshwater w…

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. (FWS.gov)

GA Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Environmental groups are calling on Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to reject permits to build a titanium mine near an intact freshwater w…

According to the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation named for its forests.

Healthy Lands Week: Statewide Initiative to Strengthen Volunteer Activities

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to visit and volunteer at one or more of the Keystone State's more than 6,000 local and state parks during Healthy Lands…

Wyoming to Receive $25 Million for Orphan Wells Under Infrastructure Bill

President Joe Biden's bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is expected to bring more than 300 jobs to Wyoming to clean up and plug so-cal…

Petroglyphs and other rock formations dot the landscape in the Great Bend of the Gila, which could become a National Conservation Area. (Dawn Kish/The Wilderness Society)

Bill Would Give Tribal Leaders Stake In Managing AZ Conservation Lands

A bill to make tribal governments equal partners with the federal government in managing a pair of Arizona land preserves advanced in the U.S…

The new Indian Youth Service Corps enlists Indigenous youths for paying jobs that include trail restoration, habitat surveys, climate mitigation, watershed restoration and other culturally important tasks. (Kristi Rugg/National Park Service)

Indian Youth Services Corps Offers Jobs in Conservation, Preservation

Indigenous youths have been enlisted in the Southwest, including New Mexico, to help conserve natural and cultural resources on tribal lands as part …

A mountain peak near Provo is now Kweeyahgut Peak, one of 50 sites in Utah being renamed by the U.S. Department of the Interior. (Wikimedia Commons)

Interior Dept. Orders Changes to 650 Place Names to Remove Indigenous Slurs

The U.S. Interior Department has ordered name changes for nearly 650 sites on federal lands, in Utah and across the country, containing words …

A recent designation of Southwest Colorado streams marks the largest community proposal for Outstanding Waters protections to be adopted in Colorado's history. (Adobe Stock)

Southwestern Colorado Waters Win New Protections

As climate change brings longer and more severe drought to the American Southwest, a community-led coalition is celebrating new protections for more …

Pollinator protectors are working to reclaim unused urban spaces, hellstrips, small yards, balconies and alleyways for native flowering plants. (Adobe Stock)

Grassroots Program Puts Hands-in-Ground for Colorado Pollinators

Some 18 recent graduates of an urban pollinator habitat-restoration program in Boulder got grants from the Endangered Species Coalition to put more na…

in the late 1800s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began sending

Historic Arboretum Cracked Code to Growing in Wyoming

Before the invention of refrigerated shipping, people living across the High Plains had to grow their own food. As Europeans migrated into the region…

A new audio tour covers the Jackson area's main roads that area wildlife must cross, as well as Highways 191, 390, 22, Antelope Flats, and the routes to popular trailheads such as Old Pass Road, Cache Creek and Game Creek. (Adobe Stock)

Audio Tour Aims to Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions

More than 300 elk, deer, moose and other large animals are hit and killed on Teton County Roads each year. Wildlife Highways in Teton County is a …

Conglomerate Mesa is designated as California Desert National Conservation Land and protected by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. (Friends of the Inyo)

Campaign Expands to Protect Conglomerate Mesa

Conservation groups are working to raise awareness of the fight to protect a pristine California desert landscape from development, near Death Valley …

Planting native flowering plants in your yard instead of grass can help restore critical habitat for struggling pollinator species. (Adobe Stock)

Wanted: Next-Generation Beekeepers for Nebraska Farms

With the age of Nebraska's farmers and beekeepers on the rise, bee enthusiasts are encouraging more young people to check out the Great Plains Master …

The Quino Checkerspot Butterfly is one of dozens of species listed under the Endangered Species Act that lives in the area to be protected as a wildlife refuge in Western Riverside County. (Andrew Fisher/USFWS Volunteer Biologist/Flickr)

Local Officials Promote Proposed Wildlife Refuge in Riverside County

Local leaders are pressing Congress to create a new wildlife refuge in Riverside County. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Alex Padilla…

Artist Stella Nall made this painting of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, located in north central Montana. (Montana Conservation Voters)

'Remember Our History': Artists Paint MT National Monuments

Artists in Montana have recently immortalized the state's national monuments on canvas. At "Pint Night" events put on by the Montana Conservation …

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument was named for the multicolored layers of sedimentary rock that look like a stairway across southern Utah. (Dean Pennala/Adobe Stock)

BLM Seeking Comments on Grand Staircase-Escalante Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management is kicking off its planning process for managing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with several public hearing…

According to a 2021 study, 90% of coal must remain unextracted to keep global temperatures at levels considered safe by leading scientists. (Adobe Stock)

Court Ruling Adds to Challenges Facing Wyoming Coal Industry

A federal court's decision to require the Department of Interior to consider the potential health and climate impacts of coal mining on public lands c…

The Yurok Tribe hopes that money from the Inflation Reduction Act will allow a big expansion of its forest restoration programs, like this one along the Trinity River in northern California. (Matt Mais/Yurok Tribe).

CA Groups, Tribes Praise New Bill, Call for Climate Emergency Declaration

As President Joe Biden gets ready to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law, California conservation groups are hailing it as the country's …

NOAA seeks to make it easier for groups and agencies to work towards restoring habitats. (Adobe Stock)

NOAA Brings Focus to Middle Peninsula

Virginia has some of the fastest-eroding coastline in the U.S, so an effort at one federal agency is bringing new focus to the region. Inside the …

Recently, members of the coalition to designate Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument in Southern Nevada held a series of meetings with Biden-Harris administration officials and members of the Nevada congressional delegation. (Photo courtesy of Coalition)

NV Honors National Monument, with Hopes for Another

Over the weekend, Nevada's Lehman Caves celebrated its 100th anniversary as a national monument. Supporters behind a proposal to add another monument …

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands rich in marine life. They sometimes are called tidal marshes, because they occur in the zone between low and high tides. (FWC)

Multi-State Conservation Plan to Protect Salt Marshes

Conservation groups along several states on the East coast stretching from North Carolina to northeast Florida are working through a plan to conserve …

The proposed mine is located adjacent to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Conservation Groups, Nez Perce Not Sold on ID Gold Mine

Idaho has issued its first major permit for a gold mine east of McCall. Conservation groups and the Nez Perce tribes say the project raises alarm …

Clean-air advocates say reducing flaring at the Suncor refinery is just one step Colorado can take to reduce harmful ozone smog. (Adobe Stock)

CO Clean-Air Advocates Push for Better Ozone Protections

Kate Merlin's two children could not play outside for nearly half of last summer at camp because ground-level ozone reached levels considered dangerou…

Protections near bodies of water such as headwaters of the Missouri River could be affected by a U.S. Supreme Court case next fall. (hmphoto06/Adobe Stock)

SCOTUS Could Remove Clean Water Protections Near MT Headwaters

A U.S. Supreme Court case before justices next session could determine what bodies of water are protected under the Clean Water Act. The case…

A former coal-production site along the Yampa River now is an important wetland and riparian habitat corridor. (Adobe Stock)

Coffers Refilled for Additional Private Land Conservation

Keep it Colorado has received $3 million in grants from Great Outdoors Colorado. According to Melissa Daruna, the group's executive director…

Conservationists propose 12 initial wolf-reintroduction areas, based on large suitable habitat blocks, connectivity, and the presence of elk, deer and other prey. Proposed locations include Rocky Mountain National Park and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass and Hermosa Creek wilderness areas. (Adobe Stock)

CO Conservationists Offer Alternative Plan for Wolf Reintroduction

A coalition of 14 conservation groups has unveiled an alternative proposal to help guide wolf reintroduction and recovery ahead of a Colorado Parks an…

The world's top scientists recently warned that climate pollution must peak, and then begin to go<br />down, within three years to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Courts Asked to Block Oil and Gas Leases Over Health, Climate

A new lawsuit hopes to reverse the Bureau of Land Managment's recent approval of oil and gas lease sales on public lands across eight western states…

The Monterey Bay Aquarium hosts an event today (Monday) as part of Latino Conservation Week, one of dozens of activities planned statewide. (Fastily/Wikimedia Commons)

9th Annual Latino Conservation Week Kicks Off Today

This week is a great chance to enjoy the great outdoors - with more than fifty free events, up and down the state of California, as part of Latino …

The oil and methane gas industry is one of the biggest contributors to smog in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

EPA Sued for OK'ing Colorado Smog-Reduction Plan with Fracking Loophole

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject Colorado's plan to bring …

In a national survey, 82% of adults agree Parks and Recreation is an

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Workers in PA State Parks, Recreation Centers Honored for Service

Pennsylvania has more than 6,000 local and state parks, and the people who manage them and run all the park activities are being honored this week…

South Dakota's Black Hills region was once a hotbed for gold mining. Today, opponents of proposed drilling projects worry about going down that path again. (Adobe Stock)

SD Group: No Gold Rush in Black Hills, Please

Public comments are being accepted for a proposed project in the Black Hills National Forest that would involve exploratory drilling for gold…

Colorado communities can apply for state and federal funding to help reduce fuels that feed wildfires. (Adobe Stock)

Wildfire Mitigation Increases Odds of Saving Colorado Homes

A changing climate is bringing longer and more severe drought and extreme heat to Colorado and other western states, and as a result, wildfire season …

The decades-long project to restore the historic Kissimmee River was completed in 2021. (Screenshot of aerial tour via South Florida Water Management District)

A Call to Prevent Future Mistakes with "Wild and Scenic" Rivers

It took about $1 billion to restore Florida's historic Kissimmee River to its natural state and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto - D- Kissimmee - wants to keep …

According to the Wisconsin DNR, nearly 130,000 hunters applied for black-bear hunting licenses in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

WI Wildlife Advocate: Bear Hounding, Baiting Unethical

Over the next several weeks, Wisconsin's bear hunters will be training their hounds on free-roaming black bears in preparation for this fall's bear-…

In New Mexico, herds of pronghorn typically are found roaming the high plains throughout the eastern part of the state. (Steppinstars/Pixabay)

USGS Seeks More Funding for Big-Game Migration Mapping

A four-year project to map big-game routes throughout the West will end without additional funds from Congress - at least for now. Since 2018…

Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world visit rural Pitkin County, where more than one-third of homes are second homes or homes intended for seasonal use. (Adobe Stock)

Addressing Affordable Worker Housing in Mountain Resort Towns

By Sarah Melotte for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabor…

The Sams River on the Olympic Peninsula is among the rivers that would be protected by legislation in Congress. (Javin Elliff)

Rivers Month: Calls to Protect Olympic Peninsula's Unique Waterways

June is National Rivers Month, and supporters are calling for greater protections of the Olympic Peninsula's rivers and landscapes. The Wild …

Wildlife mapping efforts of species such as pronghorn reply on GPS radio collaring. (Stephen/Adobe Stock)

Western Migration Mapping Efforts Seek Congressional Funding

Mapping migration routes is important for conserving species such as pronghorn, so supporters hope Congress will fund mapping efforts. The United …

Lemley Mill is part of the 30-square-miles South Pass Historic Mining Area, part of the traditional homelands of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Eastern Shoshone Nations. (Historicorps/BJ Klophaus)

Volunteers at Work on Lemley Mill, Miner’s Delight Saloon

Volunteers have set up camp and are hard at work on the historic Lemley Mill in Wyoming's South Pass Historic Mining District, where the Red Desert …

A California newt attempts to cross the road. (Jose Benedicto de Jesus/Center for Biological Diversity)

State Lawmakers to Consider Wildlife Crossings Bill Today

A bill to prioritize wildlife crossings gets a hearing in the state Senate Transportation Committee today. The Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection …

Water is a scarce and precious resource in Nevada, the driest state in the nation, with an average of just over 10 inches of precipitation per year. (Mariusz Blach/Adobestock)

NV Stakeholders Finalize Water Protections During National Rivers Month

June is National Rivers Month, and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) is getting ready to nominate Lake Tahoe and likely some of …

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PNS Daily Newscast - September 27, 2922

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