Topic: Public Lands & Resources
How Imperiled Are America's Public Lands?
The Trump administration's latest pick to manage nearly a quarter-billion acres of public land doesn't think the government should own land. But can he do anything about it?
Why Is the U.S. Facing a Federal Firefighter Shortage?
The shortage is part of an ongoing dilemma as the government struggles to budget and plan for longer, more severe fire seasons.
The EPA Won't Have to Hold Mining Companies Responsible for Clean-Up Costs, a Federal Court Rules
The agency claims modern mining practices have reduced the risk of pollution going unaddressed. Will taxpayers still have to pay a price?
The Wilderness Society Pressures the Trump Administration to Measure the Climate Impacts From Oil and Gas Leasing
The environmental non-profit estimates that recent federal oil and gas leases will produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the European Union emits in a year.
Plans to Move the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters West Raise Questions
Critics of the move say it's a way to weaken the agency and eliminate senior officials and scientists who don't want to relocate.
A Top DOI Official Allegedly Violated Federal Ethics Rules. New FOIA Documents Shed Light on His Apparent Misdeeds.
Douglas Domenech's communications with his former employer, the Koch-backed Texas Public Policy Foundation, are more extensive than previously known.
Can Grand Junction Save Itself by Becoming the Next Home for the Bureau of Land Management?
As talk of relocating federal agencies to the areas they most directly serve has gained steam, a Colorado town is making a push to house the Department of the Interior's BLM.
The Trump Administration Waives Environmental Regulations (Again) for Border Wall Construction
The Department of Homeland Security is bypassing dozens of laws to speed up the construction of several miles of fencing in Texas.
The Government Agency in Charge of Killing Wild Animals Is Facing Backlash
Oregon has banned Wildlife Services' use of cyanide bombs, and some California counties have severed their contracts with the agency.
Campsites Among the Stumps: The Unmaking of the Great American Commons
A dispatch from the ongoing war on America’s public lands.
Unhealthy Air and Hazy Skies: How Pollution Is Affecting National Parks
The National Parks Conservation Association's new report recommends mitigating pollution and transitioning to clean energy, with an emphasis on fair solutions.
What One Town in Colorado Can Teach the West About Water Conservation
Westminster, Colorado's focus on taming water demand has become a regional model for managing growth without straining resources.
Trump Just Signed a New Plan for the Colorado River. There's Already a Lawsuit to Halt It.
The Imperial Irrigation District in California has sued to halt the plan, arguing that it wrongly ignores the Salton Sea.
Elizabeth Warren's Plan to Protect Public Lands Highlights Environmental Justice Issues
Warren's plan includes ending fossil fuel drilling on public lands, eliminating entrance fees for national parks, and mandating spending for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
President Trump Signs Two Executive Orders to Speed Approval of Fossil Fuel Projects
In two new executive orders, Trump seeks to expand executive power over pipelines and make it harder for states to block oil and gas projects.
How the Trump Administration Is Undermining Nationally Coordinated Conservation Efforts
The administration's latest target: research centers known as Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.
Can a Hashtag Inspire People to Keep Their Communities Clean?
The #trashtag challenge inspired people to clean up beaches, parks, rivers, or just random trash strewn on the street.
Compromise With the Oil and Gas Industry Made the Sage Grouse Vulnerable to Extinction
Rather than list the bird as an endangered species, the Obama administration struck a compromise deal with energy companies—and now Trump is undoing it.
How Well Do States Keep Lead Out of School Drinking Water?
Last year, a government watchdog report found that about 13 million American children went to schools where officials discovered lead in their drinking water. Now, advocacy groups have graded states' school water policies.
Traveling the Green River to Understand the Future of Water in the West
Fights over the Colorado River's most significant tributary are longstanding, intractable, and only getting worse.
The Damage From Flooding in the Midwest Is Still Mounting
As this water emergency quickly becomes a public-health crisis, here's what officials are reporting.
Brazil's Bolsonaro Government Wants to Circumvent the Constitution to Allow Mining on Indigenous Lands
The Brazilian minister of mines and energy stated that Brazil would open its indigenous territories to mining interests without the consent of the affected population.
California's Drought Is Over. What Will That Mean for Water Use?
California's water conservation has seen ups and downs in recent years. Here's what the data shows.
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
The Trump administration pushed to excise coal deposits from a Utah monument, New York lawmakers want to help minors get vaccinated, and a Navy ship is quarantined at sea.