Land Conservation

The country is celebrating National Park Week from April 21 to 29. How much do you know about some of the most unique and treasured places in America? Read More

Even before the first Earth Day in 1970, scientists, biologists, and environmental visionaries harnessed technologies to protect the natural world and the species that rely on it for survival—for example, research in the 1960s led to the 1972 ban of the pesticide DDT. On this 48th anniversary of the founding of Earth Day The Pew Charitable Trusts showcases one case of how scientists,... Read More

The National Park Service serves a critical role as caretaker to an array of park sites that document our nation’s history and heritage and showcase America’s natural splendor. But many of these places are crumbling, eroding, and outdated, affecting visitors’ access and safety. The NPS’ nationwide backlog of repairs was estimated at $11.6 billion as of fiscal year... Read More

This should be an easy question to answer: What should the president do with a parcel of public land that a local community fought long and hard to protect and that preserves classic Western landscapes, Native American culture and history, and critical wildlife habitat? The correct answer is “leave it alone.” Read More

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is America’s largest national park—and one of its most remote. Providing safe access to popular sites inside the park—such as Mount Wrangell, an active volcano—is a top priority for the National Park Service (NPS), but it is struggling to fund a $19.4 million maintenance backlog. Read More

Even before the first Earth Day in 1970, scientists, biologists, and environmental visionaries harnessed technologies to protect the natural world and the species that rely on it for survival—for example, research in the 1960s led to the 1972 ban of the pesticide DDT. On this 48th anniversary of the founding of Earth Day The Pew Charitable Trusts showcases one case of how scientists,... Read More

The National Park Service serves a critical role as caretaker to an array of park sites that document our nation’s history and heritage and showcase America’s natural splendor. But many of these places are crumbling, eroding, and outdated, affecting visitors’ access and safety. The NPS’ nationwide backlog of repairs was estimated at $11.6 billion as of fiscal year... Read More

This should be an easy question to answer: What should the president do with a parcel of public land that a local community fought long and hard to protect and that preserves classic Western landscapes, Native American culture and history, and critical wildlife habitat? The correct answer is “leave it alone.” Read More

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is America’s largest national park—and one of its most remote. Providing safe access to popular sites inside the park—such as Mount Wrangell, an active volcano—is a top priority for the National Park Service (NPS), but it is struggling to fund a $19.4 million maintenance backlog. Read More

The creation in 1978 of Lowell National Historical Park had the dual effect of preserving the city’s industrial history and serving as a catalyst for revitalization. Unfortunately, buildings have deteriorated, and the park faces a $12.1 million maintenance backlog. Read More

The Pew Charitable Trusts expressed disappointment today with the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to reopen California’s Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), which lays out a blueprint for balancing renewable energy development with conservation on our nation’s public lands. The bureau also announced its intention to cancel its work to prohibit industrial... Read More

The Pew Charitable Trusts expressed deep disappointment today in the decision by President Donald Trump to significantly scale back the boundaries of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. Read More

With the Interior Department weighing possible changes to management of greater sage-grouse habitat in the American West, The Pew Charitable Trusts said today that the existing management plans for those vast areas should be given time to work. Pew added that major changes to the plans are unnecessary and that any modifications must be grounded in science. A public comment period closes... Read More

In 1885, the 27-year-old Theodore Roosevelt published Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, in which the future president wrote about stalking “the grouse of the Northern Plains,” including what he referred to as the “sage fowl.” Read More

Flying across the width of Australia in July, from Sydney in the southeast to Broome in the northwest, I was mesmerized by the sweeping floodplains of the channel country and the seemingly endless rolling dunes of the Simpson and Great Sandy deserts—landscapes that looked devoid of life. But in fact I was peering down from my window seat at complex ecosystems that are home to both wildlife... Read More

The country is celebrating National Park Week from April 21 to 29. How much do you know about some of the most unique and treasured places in America? Read More

Join lifelong farmer Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer on a tour of Jones Dairy Farm for unique insights on how automation will forever change the way we produce food—starting with robotic milking. Read More

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, South Carolina. The natural disaster claimed a dozen lives and caused more than $10 billion in recovery costs. At the time, it was the most destructive and expensive hurricane on record. The city was devastated, but then-Mayor Joseph Riley vowed not just to rebuild, but to rebuild better. His plan included a storm water management plan using underground... Read More

America’s National Park System spans more than 400 sites and received more than 331 million visits in 2016. Supported by a complex infrastructure—including roads, sewer systems, buildings, restrooms, and trails—the park system is beginning its second century in need of rejuvenation. Read More

America’s national parks are more popular than ever, but they’re facing serious challenges. Aging infrastructure and decades of underfunding have resulted in a backlog of maintenance repairs that is estimated at nearly $11.3 billion. Read More