Public Lands
ArchiveAmerica's proudest tradition should never be used as an excuse for anti-American politics
A new bill would strip the president of designating new monuments in the state鈥攁n idea that has already come to fruition in Alaska and Wyoming
A new study polled western voters' views on the interior secretary, Trump's public lands agenda, and downsizing Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante
Now that the mines have closed, the small towns of Emery County, Utah, are dreaming up an ambitious plan: A veritable outdoor playground with a new monument and more than half a million acres of designated wilderness. Can this scheme convince other towns to transition from extraction to recreation?
Some of the places most sought after by recreationists are also culturally, spiritually or economically vital to tribes. We need to honor that.
Broken pipes, crumbling walkways, closed trails鈥攖his is what the $11.6 billion maintenance backlog looks like on the ground
It's taken half a decade to iron out the logistics, and while White Sands National Monument has as good a chance as ever at becoming a park, it's not guaranteed.
Our wild places have plenty of adventure for younger explorers, too
鈥極ur Wild鈥 profiles three wildlife biologists and anglers as they immerse themselves in Wyoming鈥檚 public lands.
Within a month, the remains of two people鈥攐ne of them half-buried鈥攚ere found inside the park's boundaries, a place with a storied relationship to death
Dan Wenk was a career Park Service official who was well-respected by Republicans and Democrats. But he made the mistake of disagreeing with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
With more people than ever taking to the woods, we need to rethink how we spend time on public lands
This animated short from Your Forests Your Future聽and More Than Just Parks聽highlights the process behind this special designation.
In 鈥楲eave No Trace鈥 father and daughter are forced out of long-term camping on public lands by social services.
The Democratic candidate and son of the Burt's Bees founder is seeking a win in Maine's rural 2nd District with a simple message: The recreation economy can bring back jobs
A couple from Florida got sick of trekking into the backcountry only to contend with hordes of other people. So they embarked on a search for the most remote spots in every state.
The pro climber and free soloist extraordinaire went to D.C. to tell politicians we want to preserve the wild places we grew up with鈥攁nd not turn them into radioactive tailings ponds
Political and journalistic pressure foiled Interior Department attempts to censor a climate report. Not surprisingly, its findings aren't good.
It's not just a hatred of the federal government that motivates the scofflaws鈥攊t's their deeply held faith
Proposition 68 aims to fund parks and outdoor spaces where it'll make the most difference鈥攊n urban areas. Will voters buy it?
Decades of political infighting have stymied construction of the North Country Trail, which, if finished, would run for 4,600 miles. Now it looks like Congress may finally be ready to get its act together.
What the Bundy family's battle with the federal government really means for the future of public lands in the American West
The park police typically help keep the peace at urban monuments, but the Department of Interior is sending a group to the U.S.-Mexico border to chase smugglers. Sort of.
From a climber pitching in after Hurricane Maria to athletes advocating for public lands
Last December, when the Trump administration announced its decision to shrink Bears Ears National Monument, a crack team of Native American attorneys armed themselves with a lawsuit that ensured tribal voices will lead the legal battle to overturn it. Abe Streep reports on a historic case that will reverberate for generations.
There鈥檚 a common misconception that Black people don鈥檛 love wild places. Latria Graham, a southerner with deep connections to farms, rivers, and forests, says the problem isn鈥檛 desire but access鈥攁nd a long history of laws and customs that have whitewashed our finest public lands.
A new Outdoor Industry Association report details outdoor rec spending by congressional district. Lawmakers should take note.
It鈥檚 All Yours聽features mountain athletes reflecting on why they stand up for national forests.聽
Now you can be part of trail history by helping put signs up along America's often-overlooked (but perhaps most beautiful) thru-hike
That's just business as usual in the Trump administration. But despite the interior secretary's asinine comments, there may yet be hope for ground-up change.
For decades, park leaders have predicted that swarms of tourists could ruin public lands. Is anyone heeding their advice?
Like many beautiful, accessible natural attractions, Arizona's Horseshoe Bend has become too popular for its own good. Is it too late to protect it from hordes of Instagram obsessives?
The clothing company has, once again, come out against the Trump Administration for its handling of public lands
The Secretary of the Interior's idea to support public lands with oil and mining leases isn't just wrongheaded鈥攖he numbers don't add up.
Measures in the federal government's new spending bill should help the Forest Service manage fires, but there's still more to be done.
Ryan Zinke is using parts of an Obama administration鈥揺ra idea that would've drastically changed the DOI. Now it's causing him trouble.
Voters have the power to fix the public lands crisis, but first we need get smarter about how we fund open spaces
Internal documents suggest Utah and federal officials failed to take into account Native concerns and input as they downsized the national monument
New "vision cards" issued by the department charged with overseeing public lands for recreation and extraction are heavy on the latter
On March 21, the Department of Interior will hold the largest auction of offshore leases in U.S. history, including all unleased areas on the Gulf of Mexico鈥檚 outer continental shelf. But do energy extractors actually want such land and waters?
While political and legal battles rage over the future of our national monuments, one of the most important things you can do is go see them鈥攁nd then share your experiences widely. Here are some of our favorite adventures.聽
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation works with local property owners and agencies to buy land and turn it over to the public
The parent company owns outdoor brands like CamelBak and Giro, as well as Savage Arms, a manufacturer of AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles
At USU, students in the country鈥檚 first program for gear designers aren鈥檛 just learning how to sew a bestselling jacket. They鈥檙e being groomed to lead the industry鈥檚 next big political and environmental fights.
The real fight to protect America鈥檚 public lands isn鈥檛 in Utah. It鈥檚 right outside our biggest cities.
For more than a decade, the educator and filmmaker has been championing women from marginalized communities who are making a difference in the outdoors
Lies, damned lies, and "fantasy" White House budget proposals
From Tyax 国产吃瓜黑料s, Switchback Entertainment, and MBTA, and Norco Bicylces, Respect takes a critical look at backcountry mountain biking.
From filmmaker Justin Clifton and Chris Cresci, A Line In The Sand is an animated video which illustrates the value and power of public lands.
The Alaska senator is gambling with America's most pristine lands鈥攁nd winning
Shrinking the national monuments was just the tip of the iceberg
Companies focused on resource extraction now have access to huge chunks of the former national monument
These foundational principles are more than 50 years old. We have three suggested updates for 2018.
Seventeen adventurers three dogs, and a film crew descended on southeast Utah to run a 250-mile relay race across the desert to honor the native messengers who used to travel this landscape on foot.
From OARS and the Sierra Club, Return From Desolation follows war veteran Garrett Eaton鈥檚 quest to conquer PTSD.
Would you a take a year of your life to get outside, work hard on public lands, and learn some skills, for a minimal stipend? Some members of Congress鈥攆rom both parties鈥攁re betting you might.
Brands, activists, and politicians gathered at the start of the Outdoor Retailer trade show to rally around public lands
One of our favorite new packs pays homage to the Forest Service鈥攁nd looks good doing it
With his office's insult-laden response to the resignation of the NPS Advisory Board, the secretary proves that, like his boss, he's not above mudslinging
The pro climber caught flak on Instagram for straying into politics鈥攂ut he says it's essential for athletes to speak out
From filmmaker Taylor Walker and photographers Chris Shane, Jamie Walter, and Cait聽Bourgeault Monumental shares their journey circumnavigating Maine's newest national monument Katahdin Woods and Waters.
The interior secretary's idea to organize public land by watershed was a great idea when it was first voiced a century and a half ago. But it won't work today.
A semi-detailed list of everything we know (and we still have plenty of questions) about possible public land closures starting tomorrow if the lights go out for the feds
We care about public lands, and that's why we're joining a discussion about how to preserve them at the Outdoor Retailer show
EnergyNet, an online auction company from Amarillo, Texas, is set to make a fortune from oil and gas leases under the Trump administration. And good luck finding a way to protest.
As the debate over the national monuments festers, Americans need to get out and use these lands
Within the understaffed offices of the DOI, is any work actually getting done?
Short film captures the former national monument鈥檚 unique value
Part of the former monument could be designated Wilderness鈥攁nd you have a say
The Story of Place from The Grand Canyon Trust follows filmmaker Ace Kvale, writer Craig Childs, and Zuni tribe member Jim Enote. They鈥檙e on a journey to help elucidate this region鈥檚 cultural significance in order to protect it from resource extraction.聽
The intensifying war between Republicans and Patagonia could now move to Capitol Hill鈥攅xactly where the outdoor industry could make the most impact
The do鈥檚 and don'ts of securing the outdoor-rec vote
The charities suing the Trump administration to save Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments鈥攁nd how you can help
The GOP tax-reform package will save companies billions. But it likely came at the cost of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and ANWR.
Did Donald Trump "steal" public land when he shrunk two Utah national monuments on Monday? Depends on who you ask.
And is that even legal?
When Patagonia, REI, and the North Face stood up to Trump鈥檚 national-monument shrinkage, did they earn more goodwill than they lost? We reviewed social comments to hear what you had to say.
By slashing the Utah monuments without listening to the sovereign indigenous voices, the secretary of the interior regressed to a time when the feds oppressed and disrespected the tribes
In the last 18 months, long-simmering disputes have boiled over amid claims of trespassing, political meddling, government bullying, and retaliation. Some worry that what鈥檚 happening there may harbinger what鈥檚 to come on public land across the nation. It鈥檚 enough to call the situation, well, you know.
The outdoor industry has been a fierce advocate for the now-decimated national monument鈥攂ut it may have been too little, too late