national monuments

Indigenous Groups Call for New National Monument

Indigenous Groups Call for New National Monument

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most iconic public lands in the U.S., but the surrounding area has long been in the sights of developers, especially uranium miners.  That is why the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition wants President Joe Biden to permanently protect around 1.1 million acres north and south of the park […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    Biden to Restore Protections to Three National Monuments Cut by Trump

    Biden to Restore Protections to Three National Monuments Cut by Trump

    President Biden will restore full protection today to three national monuments shrunk by the previous administration, which had also opened the sacred lands up for coal and uranium mining as well as oil drilling. Biden will expand Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in what is now Utah and restore protections from commercial […]

    Tribal Leaders Urge Biden to Immediately Restore Bears Ears Monument

    Tribal Leaders Urge Biden to Immediately Restore Bears Ears Monument

    By Brett Wilkins Amid increasing frustration, leaders of two Native American tribes are calling on President Joe Biden to “take immediate action” to restore and enlarge Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, according to a letter published Tuesday by The Washington Post. In the letter, Hopi Tribal Vice Chair Clark W. Tenakhongva and Navajo Nation […]

    Careful How You Camp: Tips for a Nature-Safe Vacation

    Careful How You Camp: Tips for a Nature-Safe Vacation

    By Jeannette Cwienk With the pandemic, many people have been vacationing closer to home, bringing down the carbon cost of getting away. And even those covering long distances are increasingly trying to reduce their environmental impact — perhaps by taking the train instead of flying. But sometimes what looks like an eco-friendly choice isn’t as […]

    Biden Nominates First Native American to Lead National Parks Service

    Biden Nominates First Native American to Lead National Parks Service

    President Biden nominated Charles “Chuck” Sams III to serve as director of the National Park Service on Wednesday. If confirmed, the former director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and current member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council would be the first Native American to direct the agency that oversees millions […]

    Overcrowded U.S. National Parks Need a Reservation System

    Overcrowded U.S. National Parks Need a Reservation System

    By Michael Childers If you’re headed out into the wild this summer, you may need to jump online and book a reservation before you go. For the second consecutive year, reservations are required to visit Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks. Other popular sites, including Maine’s Acadia National Park, encourage visitors to buy entrance […]

    A Monumental Matter at Bears Ears — Land of Sacred Power

    A Monumental Matter at Bears Ears — Land of Sacred Power

    By Sharon Buccino This week, Secretary Haaland chose a visit to Bears Ears National Monument as her first trip as Interior Secretary. She is spending three days in Bluff, Utah, a small town just outside the monument, listening to representatives of the five tribes who first proposed its designation to President Obama in 2015. This […]

    Flooding Problems at Washington, DC, Landmarks Likely to Worsen

    Flooding Problems at Washington, DC, Landmarks Likely to Worsen

    George Washington lived much of his life near the Potomac River – from his birthplace in Colonial Beach, Virginia, to his estate at Mount Vernon. And he chose where along the river’s banks the young nation would build its capital city. But as the climate warms, this historic river poses a flooding risk to nearby […]

    Sierra Club Confronts Racist Views of Founder John Muir

    Sierra Club Confronts Racist Views of Founder John Muir

    The Sierra Club, long known for its environmental advocacy and its support of progressive organizations, has decided that it will no longer offer blind reverence to its founder John Muir, as The Washington Post reported. Muir, considered the “wilderness prophet,” “patron saint of the American wilderness” and “father of the national parks,” also espoused racist […]