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.
Grazing and Rangeland Health
Livestock grazing allows heavily subsidized private operators to degrade our public lands.
Plastic Free Parks
Our national parks are drowning in a rising tide of plastic waste.
Cell Tower Invasion
Cell phone towers spread across national parks without proper planning and public input.
Off-Road Wreckreation
Off-road vehicle abuse is a growing problem on our public lands, especially in the West.
Oil and Gas Drilling
Environmental and public health risks are being ignored by regulatory agencies and decisions heavily influenced by profit-driven industries.
“Orphaned” Park Wilderness
Twenty-five million acres of recommended wilderness in our national park system are in limbo, marooned by politics.
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.
Park Service Criminal Investigators Down by Nearly Half
Investigation Triage Pulls Agents from Property and Drug Trafficking Cases
NEWS FROM PEER
Interior Has Bad Case of Climate “Cow Blindness”
Failure to Address Commercial Livestock Climate Impacts Invites Lawsuits
REPORT | The Biden Administration’s Bureau of Land Management
Report on the Bureau of Land Management under the Biden Administration and its obligation to rebuild the agency to meet today’s challenges
Court Puts National Park Overflights on Tight Leash
Agencies Taken to Task for Violating Air Tour Management Plan Deadlines
PEERMail | Agency Policies Threaten Iconic Bird
The Interior Secretary announced a phaseout of single-use plastics in national parks and other public lands.
BLM Oil Exemptions Undercut Sage Grouse Safeguards
More Than 80 Waivers from Just 3 Field Offices Prompt Call for Inquiry and Lawsuit
REPORT | Building a Better BLM
To build a better BLM, PEER recommends prioritizing staff protecting land health and biodiversity and shift priorities away from resource extraction
PEERMail | Good News on Banning Plastics
The Interior Secretary announced a phaseout of single-use plastics in national parks and other public lands.
National Park E-Bike Rule Lacks Required Eco-Review
Court Directs Park Service to Consider Cumulative and Foreseeable Impacts
National Park Service Punts on Plastic-Free Policies
NPS Balks on Plastic Bottle Sales Ban or Restoring Superintendent Discretion
COMMENTARY | This National Park Week Demands a Future Worthy of the NPS Conservation Legacy
It is important to remember the many challenges facing national parks during this National Park Week.
PEERMail | Honoring National Parks and Earth Day
Our national parks are the pride of our country but keeping them healthy, accessible and sustainable is a challenge that must be met.
COMMENTARY | Going Big on Land Conservation in 30×30
Meeting the climate change and biodiversity goals of 30×30 must include conservation of as much of our lands as possible.
VIDEO | Mapping the Range
BLM needs to create a central BLM geodatabase, coordinate all of the agency databases, complete and update all Land Health Standards evaluations.
Park Service Eliminates Public Notice of New Cell Towers
Public Shut Out of Review of Telecom Expansion as 5G Era Dawns
PEERMail | Rangeland Health Means Fixing the BLM Grazing Program
PEER is working to ensure that a functional BLM grazing program is a part of the land conservation conversation.
Agency Records Paint Bleak Picture of Western Landscape
New Map Shows Harmful Impacts of BLM Livestock Grazing Program
FAA Blows Court Deadlines for Park Air Tour Limits
Overflight Plans for 8 Major National Parks Due This August Not Close
Comments on America the Beautiful – 30×30 – 03-07-2022 (PDF)
DESCRIPTION: Public comments submitted in response to a call for public input in developing an “Atlas” to track a clear baseline of information on lands and waters that are conserved or restored for purposes of the administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to...
COMMENTARY | Being Bold on National Park Staffing
The National Park Service is suffering from a staffing crisis, bold action is needed to address climate, conservation and maintenance goals.
COMMENTARY | Conservation and Climate Action Require a Better Bureau of Land Management
Without changing its own culture, Bureau of Land Management will be unable to achieve the Biden Administration’s conservation and climate goals.
