Northern Forest focus areas

The Northern Forest is home to pristine hardwood forests, rivers and mountains that provide clean water and recreation opportunities to local communities.

We're working in the Northern Forest to restore connected landscapes, build support for conservation and increase protected wild areas.

Nulhegan Basin

The low mountains and bogs of the Nulhegan Basin are where two classic forests meet: the Canadian boreal and the New England hardwood.

Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge

The Umbagog area is bursting with wildlife, including a dense moose population. It's a wildland of lakes, bogs and wetlands that needs more protection.

High Peaks of Western Maine

This diverse landscape has some of tallest mountains and the most diverse wildlife in the state. But only 15 percent of Western Maine’s forests are protected from development.

The Mahoosucs

Rapid development threatens this outdoor adventure paradise. It's an important wildlife habitat and economic driver for the local economy.

White Mountain National Forest

Despite being one of our most popular national forests, the White Mountains are in danger from logging and roads.

Why Wilderness

Wilderness is a precious resource with many human, natural and economic benefits that we need to protect.

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WildAlerts

Be the first to hear about important campaigns, victories and features related to enjoying and protecting wilderness by joining our email and mobile WildAlert network.

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mywilderness

Hear artists, activists and adventurers share what the ownership and legacy of these American wildlands means to them.

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  • Western Clean Energy Advocates letter to Gov Hickenlooper in support of renewable standard increase

    Members of the Western Clean Energy Advocates (WCEA), signed a letter encouraging Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to  to sign SB 252, to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard for rural electric providers

    . WCEA is a diverse and growing coalition working to transform the way we produce, use, and distribute energy across the West. WCEA aims to create jobs, protect the West’s water, wildlife, and ecosystems, address climate change, and enhance energy security.

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  • Blueprint for a responsible renewable energy program on public lands

    Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands

    Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.

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  • By The Numbers: Acres for Energy and Conservation

    Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places. 

    The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.

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  • Testimony reveals Kulluk needed more tow vessels

    Tim Woody
    Wednesday, May 22, 2013

    Witness testimony today by Noble’s Offshore Installation Manager Todd Case as he was questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the Kulluk drill rig -- which Shell attempted to tow across the Gulf of Alaska with a single tow vessel before it broke loose and ran aground last New Year’s Eve -- should have had multiple tow vessels for safe transport.

    Case was aboard the Kulluk when it went adrift and ran aground on a small island south of Kodiak.

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  • Hastings-Young bill would scrap a balanced plan for NPR-A

    Tim Woody
    Tuesday, May 21, 2013

    U.S. Representatives Don Young and Doc Hastings have introduced H.R. 1964 in an effort to scrap the Department of the Interior’s recently finalized, comprehensive plan for the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the nation’s largest tract of public land. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill.

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  • Blueprint identifies ways Interior Department can continue building a smart renewable energy plan to meet Obama’s goals

    jdickson
    Monday, May 20, 2013

    Identifying smart steps the Obama Administration, including the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management, can take to continue building a responsible program for renewable energy  are part of a “blueprint for action” released by The Wilderness Society today.

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