public lands

"It's a good problem to have, especially coming out of a pandemic and a couple of months of no income for a lot of folks," says Moab Mayor Emily Niehaus.

National

This Utah Adventure Town Wants To Put The Brakes On Promoting Itself

2:12pm July 31, 2021

by Kirk Siegler

Tourists are visiting national parks and surrounding public lands in record numbers this summer, which is causing some overwhelmed national park gateway towns to rethink their promotion strategies.

Tracy Stone-Manning (left) was named in 2012 by Gov.-elect Steve Bullock to run the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, in Helena, Mont. Stone-Manning has been nominated by President Joe Biden to lead an agency that oversees about a quarter-billi

National

Biden's Public Lands Nominee To Be Grilled By Senate, Unlike Trump's Pick

8:36am June 08, 2021

by Kirk Siegler

If confirmed, environmental leader Tracy Stone-Manning would be the first permanent director of the Bureau of Land Management in four years.

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., during her Senate hearing Tuesday to be Interior Secretary. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American to hold the post.

Interior Nominee Deb Haaland Faces Tough Questions On Climate Goals

10:58pm February 23, 2021

by Nathan Rott

Despite Biden's ambitious climate plan, Haaland told lawmakers the country would not abandon fossil fuels "overnight." If confirmed, she would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

President Trump nominated William Perry Pendley in June to lead the Bureau of Land Management, but it has never been clear he had enough support to win confirmation in the Senate.

Trump To Withdraw Polarizing Nominee To Lead Bureau Of Land Management

3:57pm August 15, 2020

by Kirk Siegler

The Trump administration is planning to withdraw William Perry Pendley as its nominee to lead the agency. Pendely has faced criticism for past statements in support of selling off public land.

William Perry Pendley's temporary appointment at the Burea of Land Management was recently extended for the fifth time since taking over the agency last summer.

National

Lawsuit Seeks Removal Of Trump Lands Appointees

4:10pm May 11, 2020

by Kirk Siegler

In a lawsuit filed Monday, conservationists allege the Trump administration's unprecedented use of non-confirmed directors at the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management violates law.

Pack goat breeder Ann Summerton on a trail in Montana's Bitterroot Mountains with her goats, Bannack and Joker. Goats are affordable, easy to care for, and a full-grown male can carry about 70 pounds.

National

As Backcountry Travelers Shift Load To Goats, National Forests Eye Risks

4:59pm November 12, 2019

by Nick Mott

Hikers and hunters have long relied on horses, mules and llamas to carry gear on long backcountry trips. Now, many are getting into goats. Many say they're superior, but critics see risks to wildlife.

A marijuana plant grows in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This plant is part of an illegal growing operation by highly organized drug cartels that take advantage of the forests' thick canopy to help hide their operations.

National

Illegal Pot Operations In Public Forests Are Poisoning Wildlife And Water

12:39pm November 12, 2019

by Eric Westervelt

Insecticides and other chemicals found at the sites threaten long-term damage to ecosystems. California law enforcement, ecologists and others are cracking down.

Queue Listen Now

Like most American ski areas, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area operates on U.S. Forest Service land thanks to a federal lease. Shrinking federal budgets to maintain recreational access to public lands mean locals have to be creative to keep trails open and safe.

On Public Lands, Visitors Surge While Federal Management Funds Decline

7:43am March 31, 2019

by Kirk Siegler

Western towns surrounded by and dependent upon public lands are forced to get creative as federal recreation budgets continue a slow decline. They are boosting local efforts to maintain public access.

Hell's Backbone Grill is located in Boulder, Utah, about 250 miles south of Salt Lake City. The restaurant's owners are fighting Trump's plans to slash the size of nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by more than half.

Meet The Restaurateurs Fighting To Save The Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument

12:44pm July 30, 2018

by Sara Ventiera

Hell's Backbone Grill is an acclaimed restaurant founded nearly 20 years ago at the edge of the Utah monument. Now, amid controversy, its owners are battling Trump's plans to downsize the land.

Pro-public lands messages are projected on the McNichols Civic Center in Denver. The Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show moved to Colorado because of a public land use dispute with Utah government leaders.

2 Trade Shows, 2 Portraits Of The American Conservation Movement

1:26pm February 08, 2018

Major outdoor shows in Colorado and Pennsylvania put a complex and divided American conservation movement on full display. But some see shared values beneath frequently political exteriors.