The Wilderness Society Blog

Recent Utah looting underscores need for artifact protections

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:41:10 +0000

In the Four Corners region, among the rugged mountains, mesas and deep canyons of the high desert there are pockets of desert wilderness where the soil is the only thing standing between travelers and a wealth of ancient Pueblo artifacts.

In these lands, the ancient Pueblo people once settled villages with hundreds of family farms. Today, the area is rich with evidence of their small communities, but it’s also a hotbed for those looking to profit from illegally selling this priceless cultural heritage.

Yukon Flats Safe at Last!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:39:28 +0000

Last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its decision to identify the “no action alternative” for a proposed land exchange under consideration for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Wind shifting in right direction on fire policy

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:03:46 +0000

Though shifts in the wind aren’t always welcome when fighting wildfires, they can be very refreshing if they’re coming from the halls of government. Thanks to the hard work of the Forest Service, Department of Interior, Congress and nonprofits like ours, we’re starting to see positive change on a host of wildfire-related issues.

What’s changed in national fire policy and why it matters

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:05:02 +0000

Areas of the Prescott National Forest in Arizona are getting a long overdue visitor called fire. Normally, this wouldn’t be news — the type of ponderosa pine forests that make up places like the Prescott are naturally thinned out and tidied up by low-intensity fires every five years or so. It’s like nature’s maid service.

Will solar energy prove a win-win for wildlands?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:34:51 +0000

Unlike conventional energy production, we don't have to raze mountaintops or drill into our national wildlife refuges to access energy provided by the sun. Huge swaths of the Southwest receive enough sun to power utility-scale solar energy projects. Not only does solar energy not run out: it also runs wide.

In fact, in the Southwestern United States alone, the sun provides enough energy to power our country 6 times over!

Hooked on saving North Carolina forest

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:20:46 +0000

A decade or so ago a friend suggested to me that instead of my normal spring backpack into my favorite north Georgia trout fishing hole that I instead try the Fires Creek watershed in Clay County, North Carolina. I had seen the mountains that make up this magnificent watershed for years as I drove to various spots along the nearby Appalachian Trail for hiking, but knew little about access to the area, or developed trails.

Obama’s focus on science gives sea bird a reprieve

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:06:30 +0000

Just six months into Obama’s presidency, we’re already beginning to see just how much we can get done with an administration that values strong scientific evidence. Last week, after years of foot-dragging by the Bush Administration, the White House released a landmark multi-agency government report on the effects of climate change on the U.S. Just a day later, a scientific report from the U.S.

Historic House victory on Global Warming: Senate battle lies ahead

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:55:34 +0000

Winston Churchill would have applauded the effort of the legions of Wilderness Society voices who contacted the U.S. Congress in favor of action on the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454 — the Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill), which won a hard-fought victory in the U.S. House of Representatives this evening.