May, 2009

Increased funding for Forest Legacy program hits home

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As the hot muggy days of summer descend upon our great nation’s capital, I find my mind wandering back to a little cabin in the woods of Maine. The place was nothing fancy; it was a real sweep-the-leaves-off-out-from-the corners kind of deal. But I’d be hard pressed to find better summertime memories than running wild under the cool pine trees and the way the chilly lake took my breath away every time I went crashing into its waters. more

America’s Hidden Treasures: Discover the National Landscape Conservation System

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The sky above the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Montana was big and blue and the scene sublime as Kevin Mack hiked along a stretch of the Wild and Scenic Missouri River. “This area preserves remarkable scenery and important history,” Mack reminisces. “It contains bluffs and badlands, wilderness, nearly 150 miles of the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, and the premier segment of the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail. Along this trail, you can see things as Captains Lewis and Clark did on their epic journey over 200 years ago.” more

Microbiologist Tom DeLuca studies 'the tiny' to find big answers on climate change

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Listen to ecologist Dr. Tom DeLuca talk about his research trips to the remote area of northern Sweden and you’ll be treated to an ecological mystery story. Birch forests once filled an open valley in the mountains between Sweden and Norway just north of the Arctic Circle, but sometime around 1000 years ago the trees disappeared. All that remains today is an open vista and the collapse of an ecosystem, says Dr. Tom DeLuca Senior Forest Ecologist with The Wilderness Society. more

Pacific Northwest Govs Support Roadless Rule

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Each year I make a pilgrimage (well, make that multiple pilgrimages) to Washington’s Teanaway country. The Teanaway, so named due to its proximity to the mighty Teanaway River and its tributaries, is known for its abundant recreational opportunities, including horseback riding, fishing and hiking, spectacular vistas of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Stuart and beautiful early summer floral displays and a stunning golden larch bonanza in the fall. more

Renewable energy belongs best on brownfields

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One of the most exciting things about working on renewable energy issues in a land conservation organization is that every day we wade deep into the policies that will impact our public lands for decades to come. Our energy team works hard to support the nation’s shift to clean, renewable energy. At the same time, it’s important to us that the impacts of solar, wind, and geothermal facilities on our precious landscapes are kept to a minimum. more

Wilderness Society president blogs about clean energy jobs bill

As the House Energy and Commerce Committee prepares to mark up the Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill (the American Clean Energy Security Act) later this week, there’s a lot of debate in Washington about this historic legislation. The draft bill, introduced at the end of March, creates major new clean and renewable energy programs, while addressing the threat of global warming by imposing limits on greenhouse gases and making polluting industries pay for the global warming emissions they dump into the atmosphere. more

A conservation-minded President? A look at Obama’s first 100 days in office

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Following eight years of unbalanced, exploitative policies toward wildlands, the opening days of President Barack Obama’s administration appear to be a promising start in a new era of wildlands and wildlife protection. In his first 100 days, President Obama reversed or put on hold a number of misguided Bush administration policies, signaling a more balanced use of public lands. He also put muscle behind campaign promises to reinstate science in federal decision making and to advance a clean energy future. more