Latest Library Content

The American public still wants action on energy and climate

March 12, 2010 - Following on the heels of December's failure to achieve a binding international agreement on climate and January's surprise election of a Republican Senator in Massachusetts running against the administration's healthcare reform plan, it is time to look again at the public strength of support for pending energy and climate legislation. Public polling suggests that the public's support for action is deep and resilient in favor of capping global warming pollution, increasing energy independence, and relying more on clean renewable sources of energy. more

Analysis: Top Ten Carbon Storing National Forests in America

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March 4, 2010 - National forests, national parks and other federally-owned forests in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska hold extraordinary amounts of carbon and therefore play an important role in defending against climate change. According to United States Forest Service data, the ten national forests in the United States that store the most carbon per forested acre are all located in western Oregon, western Washington and southeast Alaska. Moist late-successional forests west of the Cascade Range mountains are among the Earth's greatest carbon storing ecosystems. more

A Visit to One of America's Top 10 Carbon Storing Forests

March 3, 2010 - Join The Wilderness Society’s forest guru, Mike Anderson, as he takes you to one of the United States’ top carbon storing national forests — the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington state. As one of the most visited national forests in the United States, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National forest is home to an abundance of recreational opportunities, old growth forests, glacier-covered peaks and spectacular rushing rivers. more

NFMA Forest Planning Rule Comment Letter

March 1, 2010 - This comment letter addresses how our country’s 193 million-acre National Forest System should be managed to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st Century. The letter was composed specifically in response to a Forest Service request for comment on how the agency should re-write the rules to implement the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The NFMA is one of the most important public land laws that Congress has ever passed. It requires the Forest Service to involve citizens and scientists in designing the management plans for each National Forest and Grassland. more

The Antiquities Act: Protecting America's Treasures

February 26, 2010 - Since its passage by Congress in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been a critically important tool for the preservation of our public lands – lands that belong to all Americans. Serving as a vital “insurance policy” for our nation’s natural treasures, the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to grant national monument status to areas possessing significant historical and/or scientific values. more

Needed policy reforms not hindering natural gas production

February 23, 2010 - This Science and Policy Brief examines necessary policy reforms for natural gas production through these key points: more

A Roadmap to Clean Water: The Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative

February 16, 2010 - The main threat to water quality in many national forests is the Forest Service’s vast and crumbling road system, an environmentally-harmful vestige of the agency’s industrial logging era. With The Wilderness Society’s strong support, Congress has stepped forward with new funding to address the problem, including $90 million in the Forest Service’s FY 2010 budget for urgent road decommissioning and repairs. more

Restore, Rebuild, Revitalize: Now more than ever, America needs jobs

February 16, 2010 - The challenges posed by unemployment and climate change create a powerful opportunity to revitalize our economy while restoring the backbone of our wellbeing: our natural heritage. Safeguarding our natural resources — our forests, rivers, prairies and other wildlands — in a warming world will protect and create jobs across the country today, while investing in our country's future. more