Honoring Public Lands in the Trump Era
For National Public Lands Day, we're highlighting some of our favorite stories on the past, present, and future of public lands in America.
National Parks
Conservationists Are Creating Safer Animal Crossings
To help animals navigate our fast-paced highway systems nature conservationists have started building infrastructure designed specifically for critters.
Yosemite Valley Will Close to Visitors as the Ferguson Fire Rages Nearby
Parts of Yosemite National Park will close as firefighters battle the Ferguson Fire, which has burned since July 13.
How Desert Advocates Are Trying to Protect the Landscape They Love
The number of visitors to Joshua Tree National Park has doubled in the past four years, an increase that spells trouble for local flora and fauna. But as tourism has increased, so have the numbers of conscious residents and conservation efforts.
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Californians remove a controversial judge from the bench, Trump might be down with legalizing marijuana, and fourth-graders can keep going to national parks for free.
Congress' Latest Attack on the Antiquities Act Is Not About National Parks
Exaggeration and misdirection can only damage the conservation movement's credibility.
Entrance Fees for America's Favorite National Parks Could Double
Amid budget cuts from the Trump administration, the Department of the Interior wants to up entrance fees and use the revenue to repair aging infrastructure.
Burdened by Austerity, the National Park Service Breaks the Law
The NPS is legally obligated to better manage its enormous crowds, but it is crippled by budget cuts and maintenance backlogs.
Trump's Park Service Embraces Plastic Pollution
The beverage industry spent millions trying to get its way in Washington, D.C.—and it worked.
National Park Service Employees Are Going Rogue to Save Our Wildlife
But will their actions be enough to save the parks from the current administration?
Public Lands in Populist Times: An Interview With Raúl Grijalva
Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona is staunchly progressive and deeply committed to protecting public lands.
Air Pollution Is Killing the Views in National Parks
So you finally made it to the top of the mountain. Enjoy the air up there.
Vulnerable Species Are in One Part of the Country; Protected Habitats Are in Another
A study says that if we want to prevent extinction, we’re protecting the wrong areas of the country. Can't we do both?
Stop and Smell the Weeds
Even if you live in an urban environment, taking some time to correct for plant blindness can provide many benefits, both physical and psychological.
Noise in the National Parks
Researchers discuss how human-generated noise affects the natural world—and us.
Why We Should All Go to National Parks
As their centennial approaches, it's time to remember why the National Parks are so worth protecting.
Are We Ready for a National Park Commemorating the Atomic Bomb?
The development of the atomic bomb has been called the most significant scientific and engineering undertaking of the 20th century. Are we grown up enough to commemorate it in the 21st?
Climate Change Threatens Great Lakes' Parks
With temperatures rising and lake levels lowering, environmentalists say there's reason to be worried about the future of national parks.
What Does a U.S. Government Shutdown Mean?
Passports, park admissions and poo are among Pacific Standard's list of 10 things that will be affected if the budget-less U.S. government shuts down this weekend.
Climate Change Could Spell Disaster for National Parks
Hotter temperatures, higher seas viewed as "greatest threat ever" to country's scenic treasures.
Viewing Poisons at Our National Parks
A groundbreaking study of pristine national parks in the Western United States found an amazing array of airborne pollutants, including some chemicals banned for decades.
Observatories in a Remote National Park
A fruitless ascent to collect climate data at an observatory teaches that not all lessons can be viewed through human prisms.
U.S. Revisits Its World Heritage Roots
After years of ambivalence, the United States is trying to reconnect with its past as the leader of a global effort to save the treasures of the planet, from the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite National Park to the pyramids of Egypt and the East African Serengeti.