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Blog series: Public lands & the climate crisis

Wildfire smoke

Connecting the dots: climate change and public lands

Many of us have experienced the climate crisis firsthand—for example, when we struggle to get through a heat wave, inhale smoke from a nearby wildfire or have to deal with the aftermath of a severe storm.

Last year alone, more than 40 percent of people in the U.S. reported living in areas hit by climate change-fueled disasters. Communities of color and poor and working-class communities are often hit first and worse. They also have the hardest time recovering from the resulting financial, housing and health burden.

While we have plenty of solutions at hand, our leaders seem resistant to implementing them. A powerful option on the table is better management of U.S. public lands, which span more than 600 million acres–roughly 25 percent of the national territory. They can be a powerful ally in mitigating climate disasters and tackling the very root causes of climate change.

The blog series “Public lands & the Climate Crisis” looks at the latest climate disasters to impact communities and how public lands can help:

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