Protecting America’s Public Lands
Roughly 300 million acres of American lands, most in the West, are set aside as public lands and maintained using taxes paid by all Americans. These lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and National Wildlife Refuge System are by charter supposed to be managed for multiple uses including recreation and provision of wildlife habitat and clean water sources. Increasingly, however, they are run for the benefit of extractive industries and with little regard for the preservation of the rare wildlife or iconic natural beauty for which they are famous.
With the help of conscientious range management specialists, scientists, law enforcement officers and other workers within these agencies, PEER is uncovering how our precious national heritage is being sold to the highest bidder, often under the direction of poorly qualified and illegally appointed political appointees.
Livestock grazing allows heavily subsidized private operators to degrade our public lands.
Our national parks are drowning in a rising tide of plastic waste.
Cell phone towers spread across national parks without proper planning and public input.
Off-road vehicle abuse is a growing problem on our public lands, especially in the West.
Environmental and public health risks are being ignored by regulatory agencies and decisions heavily influenced by profit-driven industries.
Twenty-five million acres of recommended wilderness in our national park system are in limbo, marooned by politics.
Unregulated air tours threaten the serenity of national parks and are a danger to wildlife.
REPORT | The Biden Administration’s Bureau of Land Management
As the Biden administration nears its halfway point, there are both encouraging signs of progress and plenty of room for growth when it comes to conserving public lands. Stronger leadership from the Biden administration and within federal land agencies is critical to act on both the climate and biodiversity crises. No public lands agency more epitomizes the challenges and opportunities ahead than the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – the country’s largest land manager at more than 245 million acres.
Mapping Rangeland Health
Our interactive BLM Rangeland Health Standards Evaluation Data (2020) on MangoMaps is based on data from 2020, obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. PEER worked with a former BLM contractor to analyze what these records reveal about the condition of our public lands and BLM’s discharge of its duties to safeguard them.
Questions About BLM’s Conservation Rule
There are serious concerns about many provisions of the new BLM conservation rule and its potential negative impact on public lands
NEWS FROM PEER
National Park Chooses Carrying Capacity over Crowding
Mt. Rainier Openly Considers When Limits Needed to Save Park Resources
Cell Tower Casts Shade on Bryce Canyon Centennial
Regional Office Steamrolled over Park Management and Staff Objections
Change is Possible! National Parks Reclaim Their Skies
The first serious inroads have been made into curbing swarms of commercial air tours rumbling across some of America’s most besieged national parks.
Sharp Reduction of Air Tours Slated for Two Hawaii Parks
Current Incessant Overflight Levels Deemed Incompatible with Park Values
Commercial Air Tours to End at Mt. Rushmore & Badlands
Continued Swarms of Overflights Deemed Incompatible with Park Values
Questions About BLM’s Conservation Rule
There are serious concerns about many provisions of the new BLM conservation rule and its potential negative impact on public lands
BLM’s Sketchy Satellite-Based Range Management
Agency Sets the Stage to Renew 1, 372 Montana Grazing Allotments Renewed in One Fell Swoop – No NEPA
PEERMail | Conservation: Is this the Right Proposal?
A new regulatory proposal by BLM touting conservation sounds promising but is full of red flags.
Permit Renewal Shows BLM Not Serious on Range Reform
Despite Horrid Conditions No Recognition of Overgrazing or Climate Impact
San Francisco Parks Overflight Limits Grossly Inadequate
Suit Charges Air Tour Plan for Four Bay Area Parks Developed Illegally
BLM Oil Exemptions Threaten Sage Grouse in Wyoming
Groups Ask for Immediate Moratorium on Waiver of Habitat Protections
COMMENTARY | How the FCC Fails to Follow Environmental Laws and Fails the Public
Given the FCC’s lack of oversight and failure to comply with environmental laws, numerous environmental harms occur under the agency’s watch.
National Park Fossils May Block Big Transmission Line
Tule Springs Paleo Survey Results Complicate Controversial Greenlink Route
Statement of Support – Colorado Legislation HB1036 – 02-03-2023 (PDF)
DESCRIPTION: Statement of support of Colorado legislation HB1036 - a bill designed to encourage the use of nontoxic bullets for hunting by setting up an exchange program for sportspeople to trade-in toxic lead bullets and also increase educational efforts to inform...
Federal public land grazing fees stay low despite inflation and climate costs
Public lands grazing fees are the only expense immune to inflation, despite the increasing costs to the taxpayer
PETITION | Make National Parks Plastic-Free in Two Years
Ask the Park Service Director to ensure that our parks are plastic free NOW. The planet cannot afford to wait until 2032! Share this hashtag: #2NOT10
Park Service Criminal Investigators Down by Nearly Half
Investigation Triage Pulls Agents from Property and Drug Trafficking Cases
PEERMail | Stop Scamming Federal Wildlife Aid
PEER’s work in Alaska is part of a broader effort to end federal support for ruinous and cruel wildlife management practices that are on the rise throughout the U.S.
COMMENTARY | Park Service’s Inhumane Inertia
The Biden administration has left several disastrous Trump policies in place – from allowing inhumane hunting practices to not taking action on park crowding.
PEERMail | Banning Lead Ammunition in National Parks
One of the great tragedies of lead ammunition is the widespread poisoning it causes to wildlife.
