January, 2009

Virtual OmniBUS Tour heads to Idaho wild lands

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Listen up everyone. We’re about to explore some beautiful but seriously rugged territory. Before we get out of the Virtual OmniBUS here in Idaho, I must stress that you follow today’s guide, John McCarthy, VERY closely. We’re going to hike through the Owyhee Canyonlands. Do not leave John’s sight. When we get back, let’s all take a moment to post comments that convey what we would like to say to Congress about the need to pass the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. more

Hop on The Virtual OmniBUS Tour! Day 1: A glimpse at Washington Wilderness

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All aboard! Our Virtual OmniBUS Tour ’09 has pulled in to its first stop — the Pasayten Wilderness in Washington. Watch your step as you exit the bus, and keep your eyes trained on the forest for something big and brown. Andrea Imler will lead today’s leg — post a comment when we get back and let her know what thoughts this stop brings to your mind. A tall, spindly sight in the Pasayten Wilderness By Andrea Imler more

Born to be Wild: Join us on a virtual tour to save America’s great lands

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Cue the classic 1968 song from Steppenwolf, the one everybody hears in their heads when they dream of hitting the open road to experience America in all its splendor... Get your motor runnin'Head out on the highwayLookin' for adventureAnd whatever comes our way... more

Environmental damage control: Which Bush policies should Obama scrap first?

Washington is abuzz right now with talk of how the new Obama administration can undo some of the environmental damage done by their predecessors in the White House. There’s so much to be done, and everyone’s asking where to start. more

Aren’t Arizona’s National Monuments worth protecting?

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People around the world are familiar with the natural wonder of the Grand Canyon and its artistic carver, the Colorado River. Of much lesser fame is the area directly north of the canyon within the watershed of the river known as the Arizona Strip, which is federal public land managed mostly by the Bureau of Land Management. more

Books of Note: Nature's Way - Observations of a Good Earthkeeper

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In the course of working here at The Wilderness Society I find myself on the road quite a lot. It's a joy to see the country, especially the wilderness and wild places we work so hard to protect. It is also a pleasure to meet so many other Americans that support our efforts and otherwise join together to help wildlands. We all have ways of expressing our passion for the outdoors. And once in a while I or my staff or others around The Wilderness Society come across a great book - one worth sharing. That is why I would like to introduce the Books of Note section of our blog and kick it off with a great compilation of writings from a great amateur naturalist, Marion Dusoir Ennes, called Nature's Way - Observations of a Good Earthkeeper. more

What Obama's 'era of responsibility' means for conservationists

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As I shivered in the cold on our nation's front porch last Tuesday with millions of other Americans at President Obama's inauguration, I could not help but feel warm. For the first time in my adult life, one of our elected leaders had issued a call for each of us to do more. Echoing the words President John F. Kennedy once spoke to my parents’ generation, President Obama noted that our citizenship is more than just a privilege but also a great responsibility. more

Scenery holds economic value

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People often think my job as an economist means I never look up from the numbers on my computer screen. Not so — I'm all about scenery — it's the reason I became an economist in the first place. And with all the talk in the news about the Omnibus Public Land bill , I thought it would be good to talk about the economic side of wildlands. more

A new era begins for wild lands: Welcome Mr. President!

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For the past eight years, The Wilderness Society and other conservationists have fought constantly to protect America’s natural treasures from an administration more interested in promoting commercial development of them. more

Obama to join ranks of our roadless forest heroes?

I had the honor Monday of joining two of my heroes — former Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck and U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva from Arizona — to share with reporters what steps we would like to see the Obama Administration take to protect our nation’s roadless forests. more