A black bear cub climbs a tree at Tongass National Forest in Alaska. sarkophoto / iStock / Getty Images Plus
America's largest national forest, Tongass National Forest in Alaska, will be opened up to logging and road construction after the Trump administration finalizes its plans to open up the forest on Friday, according to The New York Times.
<p>The plans to open up the forest to logging have been in the works for years. In March, the Trump administration faced a setback when a federal judge halted plans to open 1.8 million acres to logging and road building because the administration had failed to evaluate the environmental impact fully, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-forest-trump-logging-tongass-%202645476974.html" target="_self">EcoWatch</a> reported at the time.</p><p>The roughly 9 million acres that the administration wants to open up now have been protected since the 2001 by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, or Roadless Rule, which prohibits construction in nationally protected wild areas, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/24/tongass-national-forest-trump-administration-logging" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The U.S Forest Service is expected to release a full environmental impact statement later on Friday, saying that lifting the rule will not damage the 16.7 million-acre temperate rainforest in southeast Alaska. The administration will consequently revoke the Roadless Rule and move forward with plans to lease the land for logging.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzODc5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTAyNzY2MX0.SZTIW9byPmjJzEqUrAY4midPIAU14f50liCctiggGcI/img.jpg?width=980" id="c3d9b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="646dd5c09a8e4f58d9f702f13abedff5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Aerial view of the Tongass National Forest. Alan Wu / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
<p><br></p><p>The drive to open up Tongass National Forest to logging, as well as energy and mineral exploration, started in 2018 when Alaska's Governor Bill Walker asked the federal government to consider removing protections for the forest. While Alaska's senators have supported the idea, environmental advocates have criticized it, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-juneau-bill-walker-forests-alaska-14542223458790b775b98c1384cb333a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Forest Service evaluated several plans, including more moderate ones that would maintain protections for 80 percent of the forest and another that would have opened up logging and road construction to 2.3 million acres. The Forest Service, however, decided to fully remove the Roadless Rule protections and open 9 million acres to developers and loggers, according to a <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/09/24/us-department-agriculture-releases-final-environmental-impact" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a> from the Department of Agriculture, as The New York Times reported.</p>
<p>"This administration has opted to take the road well traveled by continuing to spend tens of millions of dollars every year to expand logging roads for a dying old-growth timber industry," said Andy Moderow, a director for the Alaska Wilderness League, in a statement, as The Guardian reported. "This is bad for people, bad for a sustainable economy and bad for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>."</p><p>Earthjustice, an environmental legal-advocacy group that successfully stopped development in Tongass in March, said it would fight the plan in the courts. Katie Glover, an attorney for Earthjustice, said, "We will use every tool available to continue defending this majestic and irreplaceable national forest," as the AP reported.</p>
<p>Scientists have also criticized the plan, saying that Tongass is one of the world's largest carbon sinks, absorbing nearly 8 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution that the U.S. emits. Scientists also note that cutting down the old growth trees will put trapped greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere, which is particularly imprudent when the world is grappling with increasingly severe heat waves and wildfires triggered by the climate crisis, as The New York Times reported.</p><p>"The Forest Service's environmental impact statement is junk science on assessing the impacts of releasing the carbon," said Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist and president of Geos Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies climate change, to The New York Times. "They are saying that the carbon that would be released by logging the timber is insignificant. There's no science that supports their analysis."</p><p>That sentiment was echoed by Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, who vowed to fight the lifting of the Roadless Rule, as the AP reported. She said in a statement that the new plan will pour "gasoline on the inferno of climate change. These towering ancient trees take enormous amounts of carbon out of the air and we need them now more than ever. We'll do everything possible to keep these magnificent giants standing for centuries to come."</p>
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Heo Suwat Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. sarote pruksachat / Moment / Getty Images
A national park in Thailand has come up with an innovative way to make sure guests clean up their own trash: mail it back to them.
<p>Thailand's Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa issued a stern warning to visitors of the country's Khao Yai National Park last week.</p><p>"I will pick up every single piece of your trash, pack them well in a box and mail it to your home as a souvenir," he wrote in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TOPVarawut/posts/1058216911296247" target="_blank">Facebook post Sept. 14</a>, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/world/asia/thailand-park-mail-trash.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New York Times translation</a>.</p><p>The post also included a picture of an abandoned tent filled with discarded <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> bottles and other rubbish.</p>
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<p>The next day, Varawut revealed he had made good on his threat.</p><p>"The garbage that tourists left in the park is now packed into the box. It's ready to be returned to the owner of the garbage already," he wrote in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TOPVarawut/posts/1058561024595169" target="_blank">Sept. 15 post</a>, according to a <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/thailand-national-park-mails-back-garbage-campers-litter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Travel and Leisure </a>translation. He also posted pictures of the collected trash and a shipping box with the address marked out.</p><p>The trash was shipped back with a special message for its owners.</p><p>"You have forgotten some of your belongings at the Khao Yai National Park," the note read, according to The New York Times. "Please let us return these to you."</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b1a28fa6a2f82659c3a1952924af20bf"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/TOPVarawut/photos/pcb.1058561024595169/1058560754595196/"></div></div>
<p>Park officials were able to match the trash to their owners by checking rental equipment forms against a prescription bottle left in the tent. The offending visitors have also been blacklisted from returning to the park for overnight visits.</p><p>Varawut explained that abandoned trash could endanger wild animals, who might eat it by mistake when foraging for food. He said littering in the park could carry a fine of up to up to a 500,000 Thai Baht (about $16,000 U.S. dollars), a prison sentence of up to five years or both, Travel and Leisure reported. He said anyone caught littering would be reported to the police.</p><p>Khao Yai National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site about 100 miles northeast of Bangkok. It is the oldest national park in Thailand, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54200833" target="_blank">BBC News</a>, and is famous for its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> and landscapes, including waterfalls.</p>
<p>The lockdown initiated due to the coronavirus pandemic was a boon for the animals there, as elephants began returning to their old paths in the absence of human visitors, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/world/asia/thailand-elephants-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported in July</a>. Other animals like the Asian black bear and a type of bovine called a guar emerged from hiding too.</p><p>The park reopened to visitors July 1, but limited the number to 5,000 at a time, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/09/18/tourist-trash-mail/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. The Thai tourism board praised Varawut for reminding the returning visitors how to properly respect the park.</p><p>"We applaud Khao Yai National Park and The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment for their commitment to maintaining the beauty and wellbeing of our country's natural resources," Charinya Kiatlapnachai, director of the tourism authority of Thailand, told The Washington Post in an email. "Thailand's national parks and wildlife have had time to recover from damaging results of tourism such as littering over the past six months and this gesture has the best of intentions to ensure we all do our part to help our country remain clean, safe and beautiful."</p>
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San Juan National Forest in Colorado is an example of the national forests that will be vulnerable to oil and gas drilling. Paxson Woelber / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 4.0
The Trump Administration released a proposed rule allowing oil and gas drilling on millions of acres of protected national forests, The Houston Chronicle reported.
<p>The new rule would allow drilling without public review or environmental reviews that would analyze the impact of industrial actions, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/01/trump-administration-rule-drilling-national-forests" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"By undermining the public participation and environmental review required by the National Environmental Policy Act, this proposed rule puts the interests of the fossil fuel industry ahead of the public interest," Will Fadely, a senior government relations representative for The Wilderness Society, said in a <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/new-rule-aims-escalate-oil-and-gas-drilling-our-national-forests" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><p>So far, the U.S. Forest Service allows drilling and exploration in roughly one-third of its protected forests, or about three percent of its lands. Now, a new analysis from <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/new-rule-aims-escalate-oil-and-gas-drilling-our-national-forests" target="_blank">The Wilderness Society</a> finds that the proposed rule will transfer control of the lands from the Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management, which will then open up drilling on millions of acres in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, The Guardian reported.</p>
<p>The Forest Service would experience a drastically reduced role, with its duties limited to protecting specifically named natural resources.</p><p>Although the rule mostly targets forests in the West, the proposed rule could also affect national forests on the East Coast, according to The Guardian. This means more forests could share the fate of Allegheny National Forest, now home to thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells, which taxpayers must pay to clean up, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/trump-administration-eyes-forests-oil-and-gas-drilling" target="_blank">The National Resources Defense Council</a> (NRDC) reported.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/administration-relaxes-rules-oil-and-gas-drilling-national-forests" target="_blank">the National Audubon Society</a> pointed out, national forests play an important role in storing carbon dioxide and combatting the climate crisis. By eliminating the necessary environmental review, the new leases will have free reign to cleave habitats with roads and pollute pristine lands.</p>
<p>"The administration really outdid itself with a proposal that has the Forest Service walking away from its responsibilities for managing our national forests and grassland while closing the door on public oversight," Nada Culver, vice president of public lands and senior counsel for the National Audubon Society, said in a <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/administration-relaxes-rules-oil-and-gas-drilling-national-forests" target="_blank">statement</a>. "This is not just a conservation issue, it's putting our communities at risk. Replacing forested areas and grasslands with drill pads and access roads not only means fewer birds like Mallards and Prairie Warblers, but also degrades our lands and natural spaces, and threatens water supplies for millions of people."</p><p>The NRDC took exception to how the proposed rule will allow drilling near the lands of Indigenous people. The NRDC noted that despite industrialization and relocation policies, Indigenous people have been stewards of the land and a model of the economic and emotional benefits that healthy forests provide.</p><p>"Tens of millions of Americans hike, camp, fish, hunt, bike and run in our national forests each year," Sharon Buccino, senior director of lands for the Nature Program at NRDC, said in a statement. "This rule would sideline their voices in favor of the fossil fuel industry. We won't allow the Trump administration to shut down public review of drilling in our national forests that the American people don't want and that the climate can't afford."</p>
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A rare eruption of Giantess Geyser on Aug. 25, 2020. National Park Service
One of Yellowstone National Park's largest geysers erupted this August after more than six years of silence.
<p>"On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, Giantess Geyser roared back to life after a period of more than 6-1/2 years without erupting," the iconic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national park</a> announced on social media Saturday, along with a video of the remarkable event.</p>
Giantess Geyser Erupts!
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7af6828befbe06b40c848ea8ec565dbf"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/151418891540140/videos/2653881088193039/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Giantess Geyser is a fountain-type geyser that usually sends several bursts of water and steam 100 to 200 feet into the air, according to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/features/yell/tours/oldfaithful/giantess.htm" target="_blank">Yellowstone National Park</a>. It is known for "infrequent but violent eruptions." However, historically, its eruptions have not been so infrequent, occurring two to six times a year.</p><p>Before it blows, the area around it will sometimes shake because of underground steam explosions. Once the steam is emitted, the eruption can last from four to 48 hours and eruptions can take place two times every hour. Its eruptions can be heard from a mile away, according to <a href="https://www.yellowstonegate.com/2014/01/geyser-news-giantess-geyser-erupts-after-2-4-years-of-quiet/" target="_blank">Yellowstone Gate</a>.</p><p>Yellowstone is home to the world's "most extraordinary collection" of hydrothermal features, including more than 500 geysers, according to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/hydrothermal-features.htm#:~:text=Great%20Fountain%20Geyser%20is%20one,10%2C000%20hydrothermal%20features%20in%20Yellowstone.&text=Yellowstone%20National%20Park%20preserves%20the,more%20than%20500%20are%20geysers." target="_blank">park website</a>. Those geysers make up two-thirds of the world total, <a href="https://www.yellowstonegate.com/2014/09/geyser-gazers-patiently-wait-for-yellowstone-eruptions/" target="_blank">Yellowstone Gate pointed out</a>.</p>
<p>A geyser is essentially a constipated hot springs. Yellowstone National Park explains the forces that propel their spectacular explosions:</p><blockquote>Geysers are hot springs with constrictions in their plumbing, usually near the surface, that prevent water from circulating freely to the surface where heat would escape. The deepest circulating water of the system can exceed the surface boiling point of water (199°F/93°C). Surrounding pressure increases with depth, much as it does with depth in the ocean. Increased pressure exerted by the enormous weight of the overlying water and rock prevents the water from boiling. As the water rises due to heating, steam forms and expands, increasing pressure in the constricted plumbing near the surface. At a critical point, the confined bubbles actually lift the water above the surface vent, causing the geyser to splash or overflow. This decreases pressure on the system, and violent boiling results. Tremendous amounts of steam force water out of the vent, and an eruption begins. Water is expelled faster than it can enter back into the geyser's plumbing system, and the heat and pressure gradually decrease. The eruption stops when the water reservoir is depleted or when the system cools.</blockquote>
<p>You can watch more geyser explosions at Yellowstone's <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm?fbclid=IwAR0ZKIKvudr6fw-FEXYGdMCFRnArrqcKc78-5mnQHwnvAkE0eWQ8Htkn5JA" target="_blank">Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin Live-stream Webcam</a>.</p>
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Twitter Posts Show That People Are Profoundly Sad – and Visiting Parks to Feel Happy
07 August
Health + Wellness
Parks keep people happy in times of global crisis, economic shutdown and public anger. NPS
By Joe Roman and Taylor Ricketts
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is the deepest and longest period of malaise in a dozen years. Our colleagues at the University of Vermont have concluded this by analyzing posts on Twitter. The Vermont Complex Systems Center studies 50 million tweets a day, scoring the "happiness" of people's words to monitor the national mood. That mood today is at its lowest point since 2008 when they started this project.
<p>They call the tweet analysis the <a href="https://hedonometer.org/timeseries/en_all/" target="_blank">Hedonometer</a>. It relies on surveys of thousands of people who rate words indicating happiness. "Laughter" gets an 8.50 while "jail" gets a 1.76. They use these scores to measure the mood of Twitter traffic.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDk2OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjIzNzE0MH0.tQ0VbP7vwdjdZIEydSQfhGiy-5gije8sBW7JdtJPT7Y/img.png?width=980" id="081f7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76b7770b6cc9fd69f3e395f74864a776" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Hedonometer measures happiness through analysis of key words on Twitter, which is now used by one in five Americans. This chart covers 18 months from early 2019 to July 2020, showing major dips in 2020. hedonometer.org
<p>These same tweets also indicate a potential salve. Before pandemic lockdowns began, doctoral student <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0P0ZYbIAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Aaron Schwartz</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10045" target="_blank">compared tweets before, during, and after visits to 150 parks, playgrounds and plazas</a> in San Francisco. He found that park visits corresponded with a spike in happiness, followed by an afterglow lasting up to four hours.</p><p>Tweets from parks contained fewer negative words such as "no," "not" and "can't," and fewer first-person pronouns like "I" and "me." It seems that nature makes people more positive and less self-obsessed.</p><p>Parks keep people happy in times of global crisis, economic shutdown and public anger. Research has also shown that transmission rates for COVID-19 are <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Is-risk-of-coronavirus-transmission-lower-15287602.php" target="_blank">much lower outdoors than inside</a>. As scholars who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yFzb2EUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">conservation</a> and how nature <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=CCnUeN8AAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">contributes to human well-being</a>, we see opening up parks and creating new ones as a straightforward remedy for Americans' current blues.</p>Park Visits Are Up During the Pandemic
<p>According to the Hedonometer, sentiments expressed online started trending lower in mid-March as the impacts of the pandemic became clear. As lockdowns continued, they registered the lowest sentiment scores on record. Then in late May, effects from George Floyd's death in police custody and the following protests and police response once again could be seen on Twitter. May 31, 2020 was the saddest day of the project.</p><p>Recent surveys of park visitors around the University of Vermont have shown people <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/sd3h6" target="_blank">using green spaces more</a> since COVID-19 lockdowns began. Many people reported that parks were highly important to their well-being during the pandemic.</p><div id="4c7e4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bc0ac146ab2a94228f32d973fc2ab272"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1289428912879964160" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Goldengatepark #sf #quarantinemood https://t.co/9l3ufnbkt6</div> — Suvd (@Suvd)<a href="https://twitter.com/Suvd19486406/statuses/1289428912879964160">1596258783.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The powerful effects of nature are strongest in large parks with more trees, but smaller neighborhood parks also provide a significant boost. Their impact on happiness is real, measurable and lasting.</p><p>Twitter records show that parks increase happiness to a level similar to the bounce at Christmas, which typically is the happiest day of the year. Schwartz has since expanded his <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.10658.pdf" target="_blank">Twitter study</a> to the 25 largest cities in the U.S. and found this bounce everywhere.</p><p>Parks and public spaces won't cure COVID-19 or stop police brutality, but they are far more than playgrounds. There is growing evidence that parks contribute to mental and physical health in a range of communities.</p><p>In a 2015 study, for example, Stanford researchers sent people out for one of two walks: through a local park or on a busy street. Those who walked in nature showed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.005" target="_blank">improved moods and better memory performance</a> compared to the urban group. And a team led by <a href="https://penniur.upenn.edu/people/eugenia-gina-south" target="_blank">Gina South</a> of the University of Pennsylvania showed in a 2018 study that greening and cleaning up blighted vacant lots in Philadelphia <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0298" target="_blank">reduced local residents' feelings of depression, worthlessness and poor mental health</a>.</p>
Creative Strategies
<p>It isn't easy to create new parks on the scale of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park or the Washington Mall, but smaller projects can expand outdoor space. Options include greening vacant lots, closing streets and investing in existing parks to make them safer, greener and shadier and support wildlife.</p><p>These initiatives don't have to be capital-intensive. In the University of Pennsylvania study, for example, renovating a vacant lot by removing trash, planting grass and trees and installing a low fence cost only about US$1,600.</p><p>Urban green space is most needed in neighborhoods that have lacked funding for parks, especially given <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/coronavirus-race-deaths.html" target="_blank">COVID-19's disproportionate impact on Black and Latinx people</a>.</p><p>Cities can also create parklike spaces by <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-fewer-cars-on-us-streets-now-is-the-time-to-reinvent-roadways-and-how-we-use-them-140408" target="_blank">closing streets to cars</a>. Many cities worldwide are currently retooling their transportation systems for the post-COVID-19 world in order to <a href="https://thecityfix.com/blog/bicycles-slower-speeds-livable-city-paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-plans-ambitious-second-term-dario-hidalgo/" target="_blank">reallocate public space</a>, widen sidewalks and make more space for nature.</p><p>Urban designers, artists, ecologists and other citizens can play a direct role, too, creating pop-up parks and green spaces. Some advocates <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-15/a-brief-history-of-park-ing-day" target="_blank">transform parking spaces into mini-parks</a> with grass, potted trees and seating for just the time on the meter, to make a larger point about turning so much public space over to cars.</p><p>Or cities can invest a little more. Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Arlington, Virginia, have won <a href="https://www.tpl.org/parkscore" target="_blank">national recognition</a> for their ambitious investments in public park systems. These areas could serve as models for neighborhoods that lack access to parks.</p><div id="25fd0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="383f0d2df0237e9359c30dcce6cd6c42"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1276558744835379201" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Looking to safely get outside? Check out the best parks for social distancing in this year's top ten ParkScore citi… https://t.co/HJjEtDsrTD</div> — The Trust for Public Land (@The Trust for Public Land)<a href="https://twitter.com/tpl_org/statuses/1276558744835379201">1593190296.0</a></blockquote></div>
A New Park Deal?
<p>The United States has historically driven economic recovery with major infrastructure investments, like the New Deal in the 1930s and the 2009 <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act.asp" target="_blank">American Reinvestment and Recovery Act</a>. Such investments could easily include nature-positive spaces.</p><p>Parks are not panaceas, as evidenced by the widely publicized <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/nyregion/amy-cooper-false-report-charge.html" target="_blank">racist confrontation between a white woman and a Black birder</a> in New York's Central Park in early July. But Hedonometer data add to a <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/7/eaax0903?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news" target="_blank">growing body of evidence</a> that they provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807504116" target="_blank">clear mental health benefits</a>. Creating and expanding parks also <a href="https://www.nrpa.org/contentassets/f568e0ca499743a08148e3593c860fc5/economic-impact-study-summary.pdf" target="_blank">generates jobs and economic activity</a>, with much of the money spent locally.</p><p>We believe investments in nature are well worth it, offering both short-term solace in difficult times and long-term benefits to health, economies and communities.</p>From Your Site Articles
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President Trump displays his signature after signing The Great American Outdoors Act on August 4, 2020. The White House
The Great American Outdoors Act is now the law of the land.
<p>President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> signed the bill, which passed the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-american-outdoors-act-conservation-2646197665.html" target="_self">Senate</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-american-outdoors-act-2646574786.html" target="_self">House</a> with bipartisan support, on Tuesday. It is considered a major U.S. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> milestone.</p><p>"You cannot overstate the importance of this bill and what it will mean for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national parks</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public lands</a> and communities across the country," <a href="https://www.npca.org/" target="_blank">National Parks Conservation Association</a> (NPCA) President and CEO Theresa Pierno <a href="https://www.npca.org/articles/2618-npca-celebrates-park-victory-decades-in-the-making" target="_blank">said</a> when it passed the House in July. "This is the largest investment our country has made in our national parks and public lands in more than 50 years, and it comes not a moment too soon."</p>
<div id="e0008" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ffc07febbf5d2d585ad06d3f43e2be56"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1290667833999929344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🚨Breaking News: The President has just signed the bipartisan #GreatAmericanOutdoorsAct. It will help: 🏗️ Restore… https://t.co/RPefKPMn7S</div> — Fix Our Parks (@Fix Our Parks)<a href="https://twitter.com/FixOurParksUS/statuses/1290667833999929344">1596554165.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The bill is important because it secured permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for $900 million a year, EcoWatch <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-american-outdoors-act-2646574786.html">previously reported</a>. This fund uses <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> revenue to finance national parks and historic sites, along with local and state parks and recreation areas. The bill also earmarked $6.5 billion over the next five years to address the maintenance backlog currently burdening the National Park System, NPCA pointed out.</p><p>Trump claimed the bill signing as a major environmental legacy for himself and the Republicans.</p><p>"From an environmental standpoint and from just the beauty of our country standpoint, there hasn't been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect," he said at the signing ceremony, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/us/politics/trump-land-conservation-bill.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. "At some point, they'll have to start thinking about the Republican Party and all of the incredible things we've done on conservation and many other fronts."</p>
<p><br>Trump's remarks overlook the fact that his administration is the only one in history to strip more protections from public lands than it added, the <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2020/05/21/485260/anti-nature-president-u-s-history/" target="_blank">Center for American Progress calculated in May</a>. In fact, the administration has tried to gut protections for 35 million acres, an area roughly the size of Florida. Trump has also moved to roll back 100 environmental rules since taking office, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html" target="_blank">New York Times tracker</a>.</p><p>Trump undercut his own conservation bonafides Tuesday when he mispronounced California's famous Yosemite National Park as "Yo-Semites" twice in his speech.</p><p>"When young Americans experience the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon, when their eyes widen in amazement as Old Faithful bursts into the sky, when they gaze upon yo-Semites, yo-Semites, towering sequoias, their love of country grows stronger, and they know that every American has truly a duty to preserve this wondrous inheritance," Trump said, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-trump-mispronounces-yosemite-national-park-as-yo-semite-twice-2020-8" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>.</p>
<p>The park is one of the most frequented tourist destinations in the U.S. and welcomed 4.5 million people in 2019. However, the lead official at the park's visitors center told <a href="https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/yosemite/article244730067.html" target="_blank">The Fresno Bee</a> that Trump's mistake was not uncommon.</p><p>"We hear it all the time, especially from East Coasters for some reason," CEO of <a href="https://www.yosemitethisyear.com/" target="_blank">Visit Yosemite Madera County</a> Rhonda Salisbury said. "I'm always shocked that people don't know how to say Yosemite. I think foreign visitors know how to say it correctly more than American visitors."</p><p>Trump's signing ceremony also obscured the bipartisan origin of the new law. Only Republicans were present, and Trump did not mention any Democrats during his speech, The New York Times reported.</p><p>In fact, the bill was introduced last year by Civil Rights icon and Georgia Democratic Representative John Lewis, who passed away in July. Trump made no mention of this.</p><p>He did credit the man who <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3422/all-info" target="_blank">introduced</a> it in the Senate, Colorado Republican Cory Gardner. Gardner is one of two Republicans who Trump said convinced him to sign the measure. Trump had previously wanted to cut funding for the LWCF by almost 97 percent, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/510272-trump-signs-major-conservation-bill-into-law" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. But a more than hour-long meeting with Gardner and Sen. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/steve-daines" target="_blank">Steve Daines</a> (R-Mont.) persuaded him otherwise.</p><p>Gardner told reporters in June how he and Daines persuaded the president.</p><p>"I showed him a picture of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and I think Steve showed a picture as well and he looked at the park and said 'it's beautiful' and we pointed up at the picture of Teddy Roosevelt on the wall and said this could be the biggest accomplishment going back to Teddy Roosevelt," Gardner said in The Hill article.</p>
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A statue of John Muir at the visitors center of Yosemite National Park, California. Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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 views.
<p>Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in post on the group's website that "it's time to take down some of our own monuments, starting with some truth-telling about the Sierra Club's early history," according to The Washington Post.</p><p>Muir "made derogatory comments about Black people and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples">Indigenous peoples</a> that drew on deeply harmful racist stereotypes, though his views evolved later in his life," Brune wrote, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/us/sierra-club-john-muir.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported. "As the most iconic figure in Sierra Club history, Muir's words and actions carry an especially heavy weight. They continue to hurt and alienate Indigenous people and people of color who come into contact with the Sierra Club."</p>
<p>Brune <a href="https://twitter.com/bruneski/status/1286019023222845440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1286019023222845440%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2020%2F07%2F22%2Fus%2Fjohn-muir-sierra-club-racism-trnd%2Findex.html" target="_blank">tweeted</a> a link to his post, writing "we understand that the struggles to protect people and our environment cannot be separated, and it is our responsibility to use our power to help abolish racism, which is destroying lives and the planet."</p><p>The Sierra Club said the recent protests triggered by the May 25 death of George Floyd sparked the reckoning with its founders.</p>
<p>In notes of a trek across a swath of America, Muir wrote down disparaging observations about Native Americans and Black Southerners, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/07/22/894188718/taking-down-its-own-monuments-sierra-club-assesses-the-racism-of-john-muir" target="_blank">NPR</a>. In one entry, he referred to a Cherokee dwelling as "the uncouth transitionist ... wigwams of savages," as NPR reported.</p><p>Other entries include derogatory comments about a Black child and a Black couple whom Muir encountered, according to the NPR. He also referred to Black people as lazy "Sambos," a particularly offensive slur, as <a href="https://apnews.com/c52ccd3ac1c127289cf5b1a5c0dc070d" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> reported.</p><p>Muir also held hostile sentiments toward Indigenous tribes in California, many of whom had been displaced by white settlers. He considered them dirty and lazy and a scar on the otherwise picturesque landscape of the Sierra Nevada area, as The New York Times reported.</p>
<p>"There is a dark underside here that will not be erased by just saying Muir was a racist," said Richard White, a Stanford history professor, to The Associated Press. "I would leave Muir's name on things but explain that, as hard as it may be to accept, it is not just Muir who was racist. The way we created the wilderness areas we now rightly prize was racist."</p><p>White noted that Muir's image of a pristine landscape could only exist if it was devoid of native people, as The Associated Press reported. Despite the fact that they had lived there for thousands of years, Muir wrote that they "seemed to have no right place in the landscape."</p><p>While the Sierra Club now has over 3.5 million members, it started as an exclusive club for white upper and middle class men. The applications of Black people were always turned down, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/22/us/john-muir-sierra-club-racism-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. To right that wrong, Brune announced reforms within the organization. The organization will redesign its leadership structure so "Black, Indigenous, and other leaders of color at the Sierra Club make up the majority of the team making top-level organizational decisions."</p><p>Five million dollars of its budget will also be shifted to make investments in the organization's staff of color and on environmental and racial justice work, according to CNN.</p><p>"I know that the steps I've outlined above are only the beginnings of what will be a years-long process to reckon with our history, regain trust from the communities we have harmed, and create a diverse and equitable Sierra Club for the 21st century," Brune concluded, as CNN reported.</p>
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Hikers enjoy the 5,781-acre Table Rock Wilderness in northwestern Oregon on Aug. 8, 2013. The U.S. Congress designated the area in 1984. Bureau of Land Management
It's a rare bill that garners sweeping bipartisan support these days. Lawmakers, however, agree that one of the country's treasures, the U.S. national parks, is worth preserving.
<p>On Wednesday, the House passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a sweeping and historic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public lands</a> bill that President Donald <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_self">Trump</a> has pledged to sign into law, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/22/politics/great-american-outdoors-act-house/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-american-outdoors-act-conservation-2646197665.html" target="_self">EcoWatch</a> reported, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/great-american-outdoors-act-conservation-2646197665.html" target="_self">Senate approved the bill</a> in June in a 73-25 vote. The bill, which is being hailed as one of the most important environmental bills to pass in decades, secures permanent funding for the Land Water Conservation Fund (LCWF). It passed the house in a 310-107 vote and now moves to Trump's desk.</p>
<p>The Land Water Conservation Fund, which was established in the 1960s, is a little-known bill that produces substantial public benefit. It uses revenue from the oil and gas industry to finance national parks and federal historic sites. A major portion of the fund is also allocated to local and state parks and playgrounds, according to <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/great-american-outdoors-act-passes-oregon/" target="_blank">Oregon Public Broadcasting</a> (OPB).</p><p>"This is a historic victory over 50 years in the making for communities across the country that benefit from the economic, cultural and recreational value of America's public lands and close-to-home recreation," said the LWCF coalition, an organization that advocates for the fund, in a statement, as OPB reported.</p>
<p>The LWCF has been chronically underfunded, but the Great American Outdoors Act will require mandatory funding of $900 million annually, without using a penny of taxpayer dollars, as CNN reported.</p><p>"It's clear that national parks have united Americans of all kinds of backgrounds, not just those who are actively involved in the political process," wrote Sen. Steven Daines (R-MT) and Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, in <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/508591-the-great-american-outdoors-act-is-the-legislation-of" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. "In 2018, a Pew poll demonstrated that 94 percent of Americans thought it was important to preserve historic buildings and landmarks. That's why this bill is so unique. Not only is it a landmark piece of legislation, but the broad coalitions who support it are just as impressive. Republicans and Democrats alike know that Americans want national parks preserved for many, many years to come."</p><p>Sen. Daines pushed for the passage of the bill along with Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado. Both are battling for their Senate seat in a swing state where the president's popularity is sinking. The Republican-controlled Senate seems to have advanced the legislation to give both senators a win to boast about in their upcoming campaigns, as EcoWatch reported in June.</p>
<p>In addition to funding the LCWF, the bill addresses backlogged maintenance projects on federal lands run by the National Park Service, the Forest Service and other agencies.</p><p>"The Great American Outdoors Act affirms our shared commitment to caring for America's special places by providing significant resources to address national park deferred maintenance," said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service, in a <a href="https://apnews.com/PR%20Newswire/eb2829ab000199ccb18ba648a9c6ebd3" target="_blank">statement</a>. "Tackling our parks' long overdue maintenance needs will ensure these places are safe and accessible for all, continue fueling local economies, and offer education and inspiration for generations to come."</p><p>As CNN noted, congressional Democrats, including Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, have fought for permanent reauthorization and full funding of the LWCF for years, making the passage of the bill a major victory for Democrats.</p><p>"The stars aligned correctly this time," Grijalva said in an interview with CNN ahead of the vote on Wednesday. "This is a popular program, people want it, and I think regardless of party people are responding."</p><p>"To have it on the brink of being approved is personally very satisfying and — worth the work," he said.</p>
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Yellowstone Grizzlies Win Reprieve From Trophy Hunt as Court Restores Endangered Species Protections
09 July
Animals
A grizzly bear sow with cub in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Danita Delimont / Gallo Images / Getty Images Plus
Grizzly bears in Wyoming and Idaho won't be subject to a trophy hunt thanks to a federal court decision Wednesday upholding endangered species protections for these iconic animals.
<p>The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bears-yellowstone-endangered-species-2607784220.html" target="_self">2018 decision</a> from the Montana District Court reinstating protections for Yellowstone area grizzly bears after the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump-administration" target="_self">Trump administration</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bears-yellowstone-2446382005.html" target="_self"> stripped them of protections</a> in 2017. Wyoming and Idaho then announced plans to hunt the animals for the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bear-hunt-wyoming-2571671329.html" target="_self">first time in more than 40 years</a>.</p><p>"This is a tremendous victory for all who cherish Yellowstone's grizzly bears and for those who've worked to ensure they're protected under the Endangered Species Act," <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) attorney Andrea Zaccardi <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/appeals-court-victory-maintains-protections-yellowstone-grizzlies-2020-07-08/" target="_blank">said in a press release</a>. "Grizzlies still have a long way to go before recovery. Hunting these beautiful animals around America's most treasured <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national park</a> should never again be an option."</p>
<div id="a1a10" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd14d33bb684f0237ea63e050dd997da"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1280956331550261258" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The 9th Circuit just upheld a 2018 federal ruling that the Trump administration violated the Endangered Species Act… https://t.co/0AzXqRTLrO</div> — Center for Bio Div (@Center for Bio Div)<a href="https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv/statuses/1280956331550261258">1594238763.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>CBD joined the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a> and the <a href="https://www.npca.org/" target="_blank">National Parks Conservation Association</a> in suing to reinstate protections for the bears. The plaintiffs were represented by <a href="https://earthjustice.org/" target="_blank">Earthjustice</a>, according to a <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/9th-circuit-upholds-endangered-species-protections-for-yellowstone-grizzlies" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services delisted Yellowstone area grizzlies in 2017, in a decision that impacted around 700 bears in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/506446-court-upholds-protections-for-yellowstone-grizzly-bears" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. Those who supported the move said that the bears' population as well as successful <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> efforts and state policies justified the move. Then Idaho and Wyoming said they would allow up to 23 bears to be hunted and killed outside of Yellowstone National Park, according to CBD.</p><p>But the Montana court ruled that the FWS did not consider the impact of delisting on a remnant population and did not use the best available <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/science/" target="_self">science</a> when making its decision, according to <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/grizzlies-saved-ninth-circuit-stops-yellowstone-trophy-hunt/amp/" target="_blank">Courthouse News Service</a>, and the Ninth Circuit agreed.</p>
<p>Specifically, the court found that FWS did not take into account how delisting and trophy hunting would impact the genetic diversity of Yellowstone grizzlies.</p><p>"Because the 2017 rule's conclusion that genetic health no longer poses a threat to the Yellowstone grizzly is without scientific basis, this conclusion is arbitrary and capricious," U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder wrote.</p><p>The court ordered the FWS to reconsider its decision with a view towards how delisting would impact a remnant population and genetic diversity.</p><p>"The importance of this court ruling for the grizzly bears found in our most iconic national parks cannot be overstated," Northern Rockies Associate Director for the National Parks Conservation Association Stephanie Adams said in the Earthjustice press release. "This decision sets the stage for practical, science-based and on-the-ground collaboration to ensure a healthy future for grizzlies in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and beyond. And now, communities can continue their work to create opportunities to safely connect the grizzly bears of Yellowstone and Glacier."</p>
<div id="a6f0e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f7e4ff4c6e38a577c6285e8596d17696"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1280967734965264386" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">VICTORY: Today, a circuit court upheld the district court's opinion reinstating Endangered Species Act protections… https://t.co/wtdOhUcOiF</div> — National Parks Conservation Association (@National Parks Conservation Association)<a href="https://twitter.com/NPCA/statuses/1280967734965264386">1594241481.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Not everyone was happy with the decision, however.</p><p>"Wyoming — not an activist court — should determine how the bear is managed. The state has a strong, science-based management plan and it should be given a chance to succeed," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said in a statement reported by The Hill.</p><p>FWS did not return requests for comment from either The Hill or Courthouse News Service.</p><p>Grizzly bears once roamed across North America and the Western U.S., but now mostly live in Alaska. Of around 55,000 total U.S. bears, 1,500 live in the lower 48 states, most of them in the Yellowstone area, according to Courthouse News Service.</p>
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No Social Distancing or Mask Requirement at Trump's Mt. Rushmore Fireworks Event
01 July
Health + Wellness
A crowd awaits the evening lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota on June 23, 2012. Mindy / Flickr
Fire experts have already criticized President Trump's planned fireworks event for this Friday at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial as a dangerous idea. Now, it turns out the event may be socially irresponsible too as distancing guidelines and mask wearing will not be enforced at the event, according to CNN.
<p>The fireworks event at the iconic monument in South Dakota will be the first in more than a decade, and it will bring together thousands of supporters who will be crammed together in a fenced-in area for a view of the display. The event is happening as coronavirus cases are surging across the country, amidst a <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">drought</a> in South Dakota that makes the surrounding trees flammable, and during a national conversation about rethinking monuments with racist histories.</p><p>South Dakota's Republican Governor Kristi Noem said the people who attend the celebration will be asked to choose their own comfort level with social distancing and mask wearing. While masks will be handed out to anyone who wants them, they will not be required, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/s-dakota-gov-noem-says-we-will-not-be-social-n1232507" target="_blank">NBC News</a>.</p>
<p>"We will have a large event at July 3rd. We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, but those who want to come and join us, we'll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we will not be social distancing," Noem said on Fox News on Monday night, as NBC News reported. "We're asking them to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we have in this country."</p><p>She added that state officials have asked the people of South Dakota to practice personal responsibility. "Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they're comfortable with," she said, as NBC News reported.</p>
<p>The unwillingness to mandate that people follow <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/visitors.html" target="_blank">CDC guidelines</a> and practice social distancing has drawn criticism from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples" target="_self">Native American</a> community, which has suffered disproportionately from the coronavirus. Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump's visit on Friday.</p><p>"Trump coming here is a safety concern not just for my people inside and outside the reservation, but for people in the Great Plains. We have such limited resources in Black Hills, and we're already seeing infections rising," said Oglala Sioux President Julian Bear Runner in an interview with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/01/mount-rushmore-donald-trump-sioux" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>"It's going to cause an uproar if he comes here. People are going to want to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest and we do not want to see anyone get hurt or the lands be destroyed," added Bear Runner.</p>
<p>Mt. Rushmore, which is carved into the Black Hills Forest, is still considered sacred land by the Sioux. Its construction and the visit from the U.S. president stand in clear violation of treaties that the Sioux people signed with the U.S. government, according to Bear Runner.</p><p>The land was granted to the Sioux in perpetuity, but the U.S. reneged on the deal when gold was discovered in the Black Hills in the late 1800s.</p><p>"The lands on which that mountain is carved and the lands he's about to visit belong to the Great Sioux nation under a treaty signed in 1851 and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and I have to tell him he doesn't have permission from its original sovereign owners to enter the territory at this time," Bear Runner told The Guardian.</p>
<p>Trump, who has repeatedly refused to wear a face mask and encouraged states to reopen early before the virus was under control, tends to provoke the same behavior in his fans. The refusal to mandate social distancing guidelines stands in stark contrast to South Dakota's Department of Health <a href="https://doh.sd.gov/news/coronavirus.aspx#Avoid" target="_blank">website</a>, which says that in order to avoid the illness, people should "avoid close contact with people ... stay at home as much as possible," and "put distance between yourself and other people." It also says, "everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public," as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/s-dakota-gov-noem-says-we-will-not-be-social-n1232507" target="_blank">NBC News</a> reported.</p>
<p>Asked to reconcile the difference between the governor of South Dakota and the guidelines from the CDC and the states' health department, Noem spokesman Ian Fury told CNN, "We're not anticipating that folks will be maintaining six feet of social distancing. We are encouraging attendees to follow CDC guidelines, extensive safety signage will be posted at the event, and masks will be available, but attendees will be exercising their personal responsibility in choosing to attend."</p>
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Bison and motorists try to navigate the same road in Yellowstone National Park on July 12, 2014. Roan Retera
A woman was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park last week, in a reminder that there are serious consequences for forgetting that the wildlife in Yellowstone is wild.
<p>The incident took place after the woman, a 72-year-old from California, moved within 10 feet of the bison more than once in order to take a photograph, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">National Park</a> Service (NPS) <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/062920.htm" target="_blank">said in a statement Monday</a>.</p><p>"The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet," Yellowstone's senior bison biologist Chris Geremia said in the statement. "Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn't make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge."</p>
<p>The goring took place the evening of June 25 at the woman's campsite at the Bridge Bay Campground. She was wounded multiple times and received medical attention from rangers before being flown by helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-72-gored-bison-yellowstone-after-getting-too-close-photos-n1232496" target="_blank">NBC News</a> was not able to obtain any more information about her condition as of Monday night.</p><p>NPS is investigating the incident.</p>
<p>This is not the first time a park visitor has been injured after standing too close to a bison since the park reopened following its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-parks-coronavirus-closings-2645599791.html" target="_self">closure</a> due to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic. Another woman was hurt in late May, only days after the park's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-parks-opening-coronavirus-2645998472.html" target="_self">reopening</a>, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/bison-gores-woman-yellowstone-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p><p>That woman was "knocked to the ground" after coming too close to an animal in the Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin, officials said, as <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/29/california-woman-gored-bison-yellowstone-national-park/3283467001/" target="_blank">USA TODAY reported</a>. That woman received medical attention from park staff but did not choose to go to the hospital, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/yellowstone-bison-attack-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">according to CNN</a>. Hers was the first injury of the 2020 season, USA TODAY reported.</p><p>NPS recommends that Yellowstone visitors stay more than 25 yards away from large animals like bison, elk and moose and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.</p><p>"To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge," Geremia said.</p>
<p>One positive example of bison safety went viral in March, when reporter Deion Broxton saw a herd of bison approaching while on the job in Yellowstone and packed up his gear and drove away, <a href="https://abc11.com/bison-reporter-montata-deion-broxton/6052358/" target="_blank">ABC 11 reported</a>.</p><p>"I ain't messing with you," he said in a video he tweeted of the incident.</p>
<div id="6e24a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="98502f801663ce63637c38b8b636d002"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1242965245414391808" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here's the video of the bison I shot once I got a safe distance away lol https://t.co/uL3XiR2ISR</div> — Deion Broxton (@Deion Broxton)<a href="https://twitter.com/DeionBroxton/statuses/1242965245414391808">1585180982.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>NPS hailed Broxton as a positive role model for bison safety.</p><p>"A perfect example of what to do when approached by wildlife!" the <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowstoneNPS/status/1242912596488933376" target="_blank">park tweeted</a>.</p><p>The park said there are usually one to two bison-related injuries every year, ABC 11 reported.</p>
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Trump's Fireworks Show at Mt. Rushmore Is a Dangerous Idea, Fire and Public Health Experts Say
25 June
Politics
A park ranger addresses the crowd at Mt. Rushmore in Pennington, South Dakota on Aug. 17, 2017. Steve Elliott / CC BY-SA 2.0
For the last decade, fireworks have been banned at Mt. Rushmore due to environmental concerns and public health concerns. President Trump, however, is not somebody who seems to care about either, so he's planning on going ahead with his fireworks show on July 3 at the iconic site.
<p>As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/24/trump-mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported, the National Park Service stopped allowing fireworks shows at Mt. Rushmore in 2010, worried that the drought conditions could lead to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires">wildfires</a>. The monument, featuring the faces of four presidents, is surrounded by 1,200 acres of forested lands, including ponderosa pines, and lies next to the Black Hills National Forest's Black Elk Wilderness.</p><p>The ponderosa forest that surrounds the sculpture is a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/climax-ecology" target="_blank">climax community</a>, which is like the apex predator of plants, according to <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a32957973/mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">Popular Mechanics</a>. It's an age-old biosphere that can only be taken down by a catastrophe.</p>
<p>Due to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> shifts in precipitation, the conditions are ripe for a catastrophe. The Black Hills moisture level in April and May was 30 to 50 percent below its long-term average, the <a href="https://rapidcityjournal.com/fire/fire-expert-says-mount-rushmore-fireworks-ill-advised/article_9b42ba7a-fdcd-5cc0-b03e-95ed2f3bd932.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">Rapid City Journal</a> reported. June has been hotter and drier than normal and the long-range forecasts suggest those conditions will continue until July, as <a href="https://apnews.com/f091160cd9d56a6db67a3181c4a2efc5" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> reported.</p><p>Earlier this month, the U.S. Drought Monitor recently labeled nearly all of southwestern South Dakota, including most of the Black Hills, as "abnormally dry," according to <a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/06/23/mount-rushmore-fireworks-display-ill-advised-fire-expert-says/3244196001/" target="_blank">South Dakota News Watch</a>.</p>
<p>"It's a bad idea based on the wildland fire risk, the impact to the water quality of the memorial, the fact that [it] is going to occur during a pandemic without social distancing guidelines and the emergency evacuation issues," said Cheryl Schreier, who served as the superintendent at Mount Rushmore National Park between September 2010 and May 2019, to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/24/trump-mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p><p>Bill Gabbert, the former fire management officer for Mount Rushmore and six other national parks in the region, told <a href="https://apnews.com/f091160cd9d56a6db67a3181c4a2efc5" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> that shooting fireworks over the extremely flammable ponderosa pine forest should not be done.</p><p>"Burning debris, the burning embers and unexploded shells fall into a ponderosa pine forest and ponderosa pine is extremely flammable," said Gabbert.</p><p>He also told <a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/06/23/mount-rushmore-fireworks-display-ill-advised-fire-expert-says/3244196001/" target="_blank">South Dakota News Watch</a> that "shooting fireworks over a ponderosa pine forest, or any flammable vegetation, is ill advised and should not be done. Period."</p>
<p>Dry conditions like the ones facing South Dakota have historically been a driving force behind increased fire activity in the region, according to Darren Clabo, South Dakota state wildfire meteorologist, who spoke to <a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/06/23/mount-rushmore-fireworks-display-ill-advised-fire-expert-says/3244196001/" target="_blank">South Dakota News Watch</a>.</p><p>"The critical thing is, this is the time of the year when we get most of our rain. And so when we're starting to see precipitation deficits during the time period when we get all the rain, it does become quite concerning looking forward to our fire season," Clabo said.</p>
<p>Trump has wanted to have a fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore since 2018, but advisers had successfully steered him away from that idea, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/24/trump-mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p><p>And yet, when he was asked about the risk of wildfire earlier this year, Trump failed to see the large picture of the surrounding forest.</p><p>"What can burn? It's stone," he said in January, as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a32957973/mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">Popular Mechanics</a> reported.</p><p>The state authority distributed 7,500 tickets to the event through an online lottery. While coronavirus cases are surging throughout the country, there is no social distancing requirement for the July 3 event at Mt. Rushmore. Instead, the Interior Department will post signs throughout the park urging visitors to wear a cloth face covering when it is impossible to keep six feet away from others, and it will provide face coverings for all of its employees, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/24/trump-mount-rushmore-fireworks/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQxNjc5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDE0NzAyNH0.97ZDXc2_YFWqxHrhDV3-dEraT6SPPYLHpztsL0AQpxw/img.jpg?width=980" id="2ccc4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d3c6c2d0ec03b3a8d18e212df87ed364" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A view of Mt. Rushmore at night on July 4, 2018. Rick Schwartz / Flickr
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Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada of Northern California on April 13, 2017. Jorge Láscar / Flickr
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a major conservation bill worth billions on Wednesday. The Great American Outdoors Act provides a stimulus to nationwide conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands, according to AP News. The bill's supporters say the legislation would be the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century.
<p>The bill passed the U.S. Senate in a bipartisan 73-25 vote. It would permanently provide $900 million in oil and gas revenues for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helps secure land for trails and parks.</p><p>Proponents, including the bill's sponsor, Republican Cory Gardner of Colorado, tout the Great American Outdoors Act as a way to get people back to work after millions have been laid off in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2414708/great-american-outdoors-act" target="_blank">Outside Magazine</a> reported.</p>
<p>"Years of bipartisan work have led to this moment and this historic opportunity for conservation," said Gardner, according to <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2414708/great-american-outdoors-act" target="_blank">Outside Magazine</a>. "Today the Senate passed not only the single greatest conservation achievement in generations but also a lifeline to mountain towns and recreation communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic."</p><p>As <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/17/national-parks-bill-addresses-long-deferred-maintenance-projects/3205195001/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who helped craft the measure, called it "one of the most important things we've done in the conservation world in the last 50 years. So we're very proud of that."</p><p>In total, federal lands may receive up to $1.9 billion per year over the next five years, which would make an enormous difference in maintaining parks and national forests. Right now, federal public lands are suffering from $20 billion in deferred maintenance costs, with $12 billion of that accumulated by the National Park Service, according to <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2414708/great-american-outdoors-act" target="_blank">Outside Magazine</a>.</p>
<p>"Park roads and bridges are collapsing, water systems are failing, and visitor centers are crumbling," said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association, as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/17/national-parks-bill-addresses-long-deferred-maintenance-projects/3205195001/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported. "This momentous bill not only provides an opportunity to better care for these treasured places, it will help to increase access to public lands across the country, provide jobs and bring much-needed relief to local communities suffering through hard times."</p><p>"[This] will be a monumental victory for conservation and the places where we all get outside," said Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM). He cited studies showing that each dollar spent by the fund creates an additional four dollars in economic value.</p>
<p>Outside of parks, communities around national parks suffer from high unemployment rates since many of their economies are deeply affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/5796d62b4d9600744d1a277ea3745b44" target="_blank">AP News</a>.</p><p>Montana Republican Stephen Daines also pushed for the bill. Both he and Gardner are extremely vulnerable incumbents in November's election. It seems Republicans may have pushed forward and supported the bill to help the Colorado and Montana senators in the next election, especially since they each represent a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks play an outsize role, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/5796d62b4d9600744d1a277ea3745b44" target="_blank">AP News</a>.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign-polls/488454-poll-shows-daines-bullock-neck-and-neck-in-montana-senate-race" target="_blank">Daines is tied</a> with his Democratic opponent, and Gardner trails his opponent, in the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/06/colorado-poll-hickenlooper-gardner-senate-polis/" target="_blank">most recent polls</a>, as <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2414708/great-american-outdoors-act" target="_blank">Outside Magazine</a> reported.</p><p>Maintaining federal lands, where deferred projects are in every state, is popular with the American public. A <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2019/08/09/americans-want-congress-to-act-to-fix-national-parks" target="_blank">Pew survey last year</a> found that eight of 10 registered voters support using oil and gas revenues to cover the maintenance backlog, as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/17/national-parks-bill-addresses-long-deferred-maintenance-projects/3205195001/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported.</p>
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