The Wilderness Blog

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California’s Berryessa Snow Mountain: Saving this slice of biodiversity

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The Wilderness Society is helping to lead an effort to add one of Northern California’s incredible and most biologically diverse landscapes to the National Landscape Conservation System. Located less than 100 miles from the Bay Area and Sacramento, the proposed Berryessa — Snow Mountain National Conservation Area is a dazzling outdoor wonderland, rich in natural features and recreational opportunities such as hiking, riding, kayaking, hunting, fishing and bird watching. more

Celebrating 45 years of the Wilderness Act

America's Wilderness spans magnificent lands from coast to coast — north to south. We can celebrate these outstanding natural benefits today — and be sure they will be available to us tomorrow — because forty-five years ago, our nation’s leaders introduced visionary legislation unlike any the world had ever seen: The Wilderness Act. A deliberate and farsighted effort to protect from development vast areas of wild places, the Wilderness Act preserves the lasting benefits of wilderness for the enjoyment of all Americans. more

Poll: Californians favor wilderness protections in San Gabriel Mountains

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The old growth Jeffrey Pines that take root atop one of the most rugged mountain ranges in the country aren’t what immediately comes to mind when one thinks of the Los Angeles area. But these beautiful peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains are just an hour’s drive away for more than 17 million people. more

San Gabriel Mountains: So close to Los Angeles, yet surprisingly wild!

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In wilderness, one expects a stunning vista or two. You anticipate the spicy aroma of towering pine and fir. And, if you are lucky, the fleeting sight of an endangered species, maybe a Nelson’s bighorn sheep scuttling up a rocky peak. This time, though, our hike in California’s Cucamonga Wilderness in the San Gabriel Mountains began with a humbler sight. Ladybugs. more

Obama’s next big opportunity: Court decision gives president chance to shape future of forests

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Thanks to a court victory last month that tossed out misguided ideas for how the U.S. should manage its forests, President Obama now has a golden opportunity to replace them with his administration’s principles. The result could be a mandate for the Forest Service to make decisions about managing forests based on the 21st century imperatives of global warming and clean drinking water. more

Wind shifting in right direction on fire policy

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Though shifts in the wind aren’t always welcome when fighting wildfires, they can be very refreshing if they’re coming from the halls of government. Thanks to the hard work of the Forest Service, Department of Interior, Congress and nonprofits like ours, we’re starting to see positive change on a host of wildfire-related issues. more

Will solar energy prove a win-win for wildlands?

Unlike conventional energy production, we don't have to raze mountaintops or drill into our national wildlife refuges to access energy provided by the sun. Huge swaths of the Southwest receive enough sun to power utility-scale solar energy projects. Not only does solar energy not run out: it also runs wide. In fact, in the Southwestern United States alone, the sun provides enough energy to power our country 6 times over! more

Obama’s focus on science gives sea bird a reprieve

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Just six months into Obama’s presidency, we’re already beginning to see just how much we can get done with an administration that values strong scientific evidence. Last week, after years of foot-dragging by the Bush Administration, the White House released a landmark multi-agency government report on the effects of climate change on the U.S. Just a day later, a scientific report from the U.S. more