Last year we asked you to help protect Montana’s premier National Wildlife Refuge, and many of you did just that — calling on the Fish and Wildlife Service to finalize its 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and expand proposed wilderness.
With passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577; 16 USC 1131-1136), the United States charted a course new in the history of nations — to preserve some of the country's last remaining wild places in order to protect their natural processes and values from development. Today, thanks to the wisdom, foresight, and perseverance of many dedicated individuals, current and future generations will enjoy an enduring wilderness — in reality and in spirit.
Big blue skies, golden cottonwoods and the haunting sound of elk bugling up the coulee: That’s the Charles M. Russell Refuge (CMR) in early autumn. The Wilderness Society is hosting a bus tour and hike into the C.M. Russell on Sat. Oct. 1.
As the Gulf of Mexico oil spill escalates, it is churning closer and closer to Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge, the second-oldest national wildlife refuge in the United States. All of the federal lands in the refuge are also designated wilderness areas, aside from North Breton Island.
America’s National Wildlife Refuges — 549 of them, scattered throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories — are best known for the wildlife they protect: thousands of species of animals, birds, reptiles, fish, wildflowers, and trees. What’s less well known is that many refuges also offer a glimpse into America’s past — encompassing the story of our land beginning with the native people who lived here long before the first European settlers, and continuing through the major events of our nation’s history.
Alaska is ground zero for global warming. Temperatures here are rising faster than anywhere else in the world, and the kinds of things scientists have been warning about for years — hotter and drier summers, more wild fires, insect outbreaks, and unusual weather patterns — are already posing some unprecedented threats for the state’s natural resources.
With gas prices creeping higher and the economy at a low ebb, planning a summer vacation close to home is on the minds of many American families. Luckily, if your idea of a great getaway is to experience the best of our nation’s treasured wild lands, the National Wildlife Refuge System will allow you to stay close to home.
