Public Lands

Yosemite Meadow Undergoing Major Restoration
Rangeland recently acquired from private owners is being restored to a more natural state thanks to a purchase by the Trust for Public Land.

The Changing Nature of Wilderness
U.S. public lands management is undergoing a slow but significant shift.

BLM Grazing Lands Largely Fail Health Assessment
Grazing lands under the agency’s management are not meeting its own criteria for ecosystem conservation and sustainable use.

Western Solar Plan Charts Course for Development on Public Lands
The BLM’s proposed maps could open up as much as 55 million acres to solar installations.

How the Great American Outdoors Act Improved Public Lands
The 2020 federal law has helped fund park maintenance projects and improve access to public lands.

Utah Lawmakers Call for Housing on Public Lands
State lawmakers spoke out in support of a proposed federal bill that would permit housing development on federal lands.

9 Public Land Destinations to Visit This Black History Month
These national monuments, parks, and sites honor and preserve Black history in America.

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.

Carbon Capture Plan Draws Conservationist Concerns
The Forest Service says storing carbon dioxide under national forest lands is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting climate goals.

BLM Releases New Plan for Moab Area
The plan limits motorized recreation to protect natural and cultural resources.

Grand Canyon Area Could Gain New National Monument
The Biden administration has signaled support for a proposed national monument that would protect Native American lands around the Grand Canyon from uranium mining.

Proposed Regulatory Changes Would Raise the Cost of Oil Drilling on Public Land
The new rules would raise more money for cleanup operations and bring more revenue to oil-producing states, but are a far cry from fulfilling President Biden’s promise to end extraction on public lands.

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

Colorado Supreme Court Denies Access to Riverbeds
The state doesn’t seem ready to reverse its famously restrictive aquatic access policies anytime soon.

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.

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.

California's Wildlife Conservation Board Funds Projects to Restore and Protect Habitats
The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) just approved approximately $51.83 million in grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.

The Year in Public Lands
Public policy decisions that will impact land and water conservation in the American West.

Western Voters: Yes to Conservation, No to Extremism
Voters in Western states generally favored candidates who support public land conservation in this November’s election and rejected extremist rhetoric.
Pagination
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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