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.
Environmental and public health risks are being ignored by regulatory agencies and decisions heavily influenced by profit-driven industries.
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.
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NEWS FROM PEER
NOAA’s Big Storm Problem in Hawaii
New Regional Office Inaccessible During Tsunami, Hurricane or Major Storm
Stonewall on Petroglyph Pact Leaves Monument in Limbo
Management Agreement Expires as Rock Art Community Gathers for Conference
No Sequester for Jet-Skiing in National Parks
Hefty Spending to Expand Activities Aggravated by Ranger Furloughs
Selling National Park Scenery Cheaply
$56 Million Mitigation Deal for Transmission Corridor across Delaware Water Gap
Federal Review of Missouri Parks’ Drinking Water Sought
Whistleblower Cites Contaminated Water in State Parks and Lax Enforcement
Languishing Wilderness Legacy of National Parks
Vast Wild and Roadless Tracts Remain Unprotected in Wilderness Logjam
Plans to Wire Entire National Park System
Concessionaires Would Control Visitor Cell and Internet Access and Content
BLM Says It Cannot Track Cattle on Its Lands
Blames Lack of “Seamless Data” for Excluding Livestock from Range Assessments
Park Service Pursues Corporate Research Pacts
Bio-Prospecting Partnerships Pose Ethical and Conservation Conflicts
Call to Open up Emergency Shell Arctic Review
Federal Agencies Need to Consult Outside Experts and Residents Not Just Industry
Alaska Dropped Ball on Runaway Shell Vessel
State Focused on Capacity of Towing Vessel to be Towed, Not on Its Ability to Tow
Push for New Deal to Protect Petroglyph National Monument
Congressional Research Service Finds Albuquerque Cannot Trump Park Standards
Court Orders Tighter Off-Road Plan for Stanislaus Forest
Forest Service Must Minimize Environmental Damage by Unauthorized Travel
Arctic Offshore Drilling Safety Assurances Sought
Lawsuit to Force Release of Key Spill Prevention and Response Documents
Reward Fund Grows for Capture of Petroglyph Vandals
Criminal Conviction Seen as Key Deterrent for Future Artifact Destruction
BLM Ducks Complaint About Suppressing Livestock Damage
Landscape Assessments in Limbo after Scientists Told to Ignore Livestock Impacts
Judge Orders Eradication of GE Plants on Wildlife Refuges
Three-Year Monitoring Period to Track, Destroy Any Germinating GE Plants
Judge Halts GE Crops on Southeastern Wildlife Refuges
Separate Ruling Leaves Door Ajar for GE Crops on Midwestern Refuges for Now
Yellowstone’s New Cell Tower Pre-Approved Despite Impacts
Disingenuous Call for Public Comments Does Not Cure Violations of Law and Policy
Public Lands Advocates Act to Defend Tahoe National Forest
Forest Could Lose New Protections From Off-Road Vehicle Damage