Today, some Westerners might call the 1908 presidential proclamation of a Grand Canyon National Monument a “surreptitious land grab.” But it all depends on who’s doing the grabbing, and for what purpose. Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop says that such proclamations allow presidents to “lock up” millions of acres of public land “like bandits in […]
Public lands
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A trail runner defends his right to public lands
One September morning, with huckleberry bushes burning a fierce red against a dusting of snow on the banks of the upper Nisqually River, I left Mount Rainier National Park headquarters on a pilgrimage. Twenty-seven hours later, depleted but filled with a near-religious sense of reverence and elation I’ve rarely felt since, I arrived back where […]
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Groups sue Wyoming over ‘data trespassing’ law
The laws make it a crime to collect data on open land if the collector lacks certain permissions.
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Wildland restoration is like marriage: An imperfect work in progress
When I first joined Wildland Restoration Volunteers, I had the naive idea that helping the environment was a lot like a blind date: You get together and hope you click. Some of the projects were just like that: We’d carry tools in, rebuild a trail so it no longer interfered with endangered plants, and go […]
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Congress lets sun set on Land and Water Conservation Fund
The nation’s most successful conservation program is in jeopardy.
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Fossil fuel extraction on public lands is the next climate fight
Stopping Keystone is only one part of the larger agenda to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
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For Dinosaur National Monument’s 100th birthday, let’s protect more land
We launched our rafts on Colorado’s Yampa River at Deerlodge Park, and ran Little Joe and Big Joe Rapids. On the second afternoon, we pulled into Mathers Hole Camp under an overhung cliff wall that towered 500 feet above us. As I set up my tent, I thought about the 100th birthday of Dinosaur National […]
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Cue the greater sage grouse lawsuits
With the bird’s non-listing under the Endangered Species Act, expect more of the legal crawl that got us here in the first place.
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Mountain bikes on the Colorado Trail leave something to be desired
This summer, I hiked approximately half of the Colorado Trail, from Waterton Canyon to Highway 50 near Salida, covering about 250 miles in 23 days. Overall, it was a good experience, though not a great one. Among the factors limiting my enjoyment were the many road crossings and noise from nearby cars, ATVs and – […]
Posted inAugust 31, 2015: Unlocking the Methane Mystery
Where vandals target Western parks
A by-the-numbers look at the most graffitied national parks.
Posted inAugust 17, 2015: Little Big Bird
Beekeepers vs. invasive species rules on federal lands
Should apiarists be allowed to place hives of non-native honeybees on public lands?
Posted inAugust 17, 2015: Little Big Bird
The Latest: Boulder-White Clouds in Idaho becomes wilderness
Congress gives the highest protection to the area — to avoid an even-larger national monument.
Posted inAugust 17, 2015: Little Big Bird
The Latest: San Carlos Apache lobbies to protect lands threatened by copper mining
Resolution Copper company engineered a land swap with the feds, but locals oppose it.
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A military proposal to use more public lands riles locals in Washington
Residents worry about helicopters landing regularly near trails, campgrounds and wildlife.
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Dispatch from White Hope Mine dispute in Montana
The constitutionalist group Oath Keepers is defending a mine that the Forest Service says is out of compliance.
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How the Point Reyes oyster battles challenged our idea of wilderness
Review of a new book, ‘Oyster War’ by Summer Brennan.
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Military and enviros align in Arizona’s public lands debate
Demand for housing, recreation and energy development means military bases could lose essential buffer land.
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How a long-sought Idaho wilderness bill defies the odds
The threat of a national monument gets Boulder-White Clouds the highest protection.
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Interior launches national conversation on federal coal
Should royalties be higher to account for social costs of climate change?
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KDNK Radio speaks with HCN reporter Sarah Tory
A battle over illegal bike trails in Sedona raises tough questions about soaring recreation use on public lands.