December, 2008

America’s Newest Conservation System, Salazar, and 120 Acres in Florida

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In a ceremony little noticed outside of central Florida, the state’s historic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and surrounding mangroves were formally dedicated last month as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, which is the Bureau of Land Management’s version of the National Park System. more

The Wild, Wild East

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This feature was first published in the 2008 Wilderness Magazine. To receive the annual magazine and quarterly newsletters from The Wilderness Society, become a member today! Christopher Percy Collier is a Connecticut writer who has authored three regional guidebooks and has had stories published by National Geographic Traveler, Outside, and numerous other magazines. By Christopher Percy Collier more

Bush gets one right

The Bush administration last week broke free of an often-used practice that places someone in a position largely for the purpose of undermining the mission of it. That has been especially true in regards to the environment. But the old dog performed a nice new trick when Bush’s Department of Agriculture named U.S. Forest Service Associate Chief Sally Collins to its new Office of Ecosystems and Markets. more

Making Nature Part of the Holiday Season

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This feature was first published in the 2008 Wilderness Magazine. To receive the annual magazine and quarterly newsletters from The Wilderness Society, become a member today! Darrell Knuffke, who writes from Mancos, Colorado, is a former Colorado journalist, U.S. Senate aide, and Wilderness Society vice president. By Darrell Knuffke more

Bush’s Final Days: The last-minute environmental roll-backs you should know about

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In November, we told you about sweeping environmental roll-backs the Bush administration is rushing through in its final months in office. Since then, and just as expected, the news has not been good. In the short weeks since the presidential election, the administration has finalized numerous land management plans, regulations and policy changes that could severely damage our wild lands for decades to come. more

Salazar Well-Suited for Interior

Sen. Ken Salazar, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Interior, has been a bridge-building environmental leader in Colorado for over a decade and a personally committed land steward before that. He understands the land, water, and people of the west and the intricate connections among those key features of our natural and social landscape. more

Wilderness History in the Making? Congress Postpones Answer ‘Til Next Year

In October, you heard us talking a great deal about a historic piece of conservation legislation that was poised for passage. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act included 15 separate wilderness bills totaling nearly two million acres across eight states. This would have been the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in nearly 15 years. However, the legislation never made it to the floor during the 110th Congress. more

Public Says No to Drilling Utah’s Canyon Country. Will Government Listen?

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Will the Bureau of Land Management listen to more than 1 million Americans  and halt its plan to lease some of the Utah canyon country’s most pristine and spectacular wildlands? The BLM ignored conservation groups in the fall when they protested the agency’s plans to open much of the canyon country to energy development as part of new management plans that govern public land in eastern Utah. more

Wilderness-Friendly Holidays: Great Tips for Enriching the Season

As you ponder the stresses of another frenzied holiday shopping season, consider this: The time you spend at the mall could be used instead to create wilderness-friendly holiday traditions that are both kind to Mother Nature and enriching to your family. Giving the gift of quality time in nature and creating family traditions that focus on preservation of our earth can be as lovely a present as anything out of a box. Better yet, such gifts last for life when you consider the long-lasting memories they create. more