Public Lands

Volunteer wilderness stewards like Joyce Farbe, above, are a critical part of wilderness education, especially when managers have limited budgets for paid staff.

News

As Wilderness Areas Attract More People, Volunteer Rangers Hit The Trail

Amanda Peacher

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The U.S. Forest Service has faced budget cuts, and underfunding for years. So, with the agency’s blessing, around 200 conservation groups around the country have created volunteer wilderness ranger programs to help patrol the backcountry. But are volunteers a good substitute for funding full-time staff?

The overlook at the brink of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, an example of deferred maintenance in Yellowstone National Park.

Politics

Trump Signs Landmark Public Lands Bill

Maggie Mullen

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed the Great American Outdoors Act, a bipartisan bill being hailed as the biggest public lands and conservation legislation in a generation.

Damage to the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail in Yellowstone National Park is an example of deferred maintenance in national parks.

Western Senators Push Landmark Public Lands Bill

Noah Glick

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A bill to permanently fund conservation efforts and reduce maintenance backlogs across public lands will soon be up for a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Business

As Outdoor Recreation Drives Western Economies, It's Also Driving Up The Rent

Rae Ellen Bichell

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Everyone knows that living in the Rockies can get expensive. Headwaters Economics wanted to know why. The non-profit published new research this week that…

Zion National Park and other crown jewels of the country's public lands system offer a respite during the COVID-19 pandemic. But getting there can lead to new cases of the novel coronavirus in rural towns that are unprepared to handle a surge in patients.

Escape To Public Lands? Nearby Towns Want You To Park It Instead.

Nate Hegyi

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On a recent cold and rainy morning at Zion National Park in Southern Utah, Andrew Smith and Blake Cubria throw a blue tarp on top of their tent to keep...

Federally protected lands (light blue) stem the loss of endangered species' habitat compared to private unprotected lands (orange) in the U.S.

Public Lands Give Refuge To Endangered Species, Study Shows

Maggie Mullen

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Federal lands are much better at reducing habitat loss and protecting endangered species than private lands, according to a new study out this week by...

Two people admire a vista at the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, which the Trump administration shrunk by roughly half in 2017.

Democratic House Committee Chairman Can Now Subpoena Interior Over Controversial Public Lands Moves

Nate Hegyi

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Listen to this story here. After congressional Democrats voted this week to give one of their own the power to subpoena the Trump administration, U.S....

A congressman from Washington state has introduced a bill that would allow conservation groups to buy ranchers' grazing permits on public lands and retire them.

Proposed Law Would Make It Easier To Remove Livestock From Public Lands

Nate Hegyi

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New legislation introduced in the U.S. House Thursday would make it easier for conservation groups to remove cattle and sheep from federal lands.

Groups Sue To Keep E-Bikes Off National Park Trails

Maggie Mullen

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This summer, the National Park Service came out with a policy allowing electric bicycles in the same places as traditional bikes. A new federal lawsuit...

A marijuana plant grows in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This plant is part of an illegal growing operation by highly organized drug cartels that take advantage of the forests' thick canopy to help hide their operations.

NPR News

Illegal Pot Operations In Public Forests Are Poisoning Wildlife And Water

Eric Westervelt

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Insecticides and other chemicals found at the sites threaten long-term damage to ecosystems. California law enforcement, ecologists and others are cracking down.