public lands

Commercial Air Tours Over Bandelier National Monument to Be Banned

Commercial Air Tours Over Bandelier National Monument to Be Banned

The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have completed an air tour management plan for Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. As part of the plan, commercial air tours will be banned in and around the national monument. Commercial air tours are a type of flight that visitors can pay to […]

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    Biden Administration Moves to Protect Old Growth Forests From Logging

    Biden Administration Moves to Protect Old Growth Forests From Logging

    The Biden administration has announced a proposal to conserve and restore old-growth trees in United States national forests. If adopted, the proposal would expand logging restrictions as part of an executive order issued on Earth Day 2022 to safeguard national forests. The protections would be a natural remedy for tackling the effects of climate change, […]

    Yosemite National Park to Require Reservations in 2024

    Yosemite National Park to Require Reservations in 2024

    The National Park Service recently announced that next year, visitors to Yosemite National Park in California will need to reserve their entry for several spring and fall visits and all peak summer visits to aid with congestion. The pilot reservation system will be similar to the “Peak Hours” reservation system used in 2022, which required […]

    Flying Over U.S. National Parks to Be Limited by New Rules

    Flying Over U.S. National Parks to Be Limited by New Rules

    New regulations in the U.S. will limit where tourist flights in planes and helicopters can fly around national parks and monuments. Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park will have some of the strictest rules on flying. At Mount Rushmore and Badlands, both in South Dakota, commercial air tours will be banned within a […]

    Ohio Commission Decides to Allow Fracking in State Parks

    Ohio Commission Decides to Allow Fracking in State Parks

    A government commission in Ohio has decided to open some state parks and wildlife areas to fracking.  The decision comes amid an investigation on allegations of possible fraudulent support from an industry group representing energy companies, The Associated Press reported. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) greenlit multiple […]

    Nature Reserves 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Nature Reserves 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Is a ‘Nature Reserve’? Nature reserves are large areas of land that have been set aside to protect and preserve natural habitat and ecosystems for common, rare and endangered animal and plants species and their natural processes. Designating areas to be protected from human development ensures everyone will have access to […]

    New Wildlife Refuges in Tennessee, Wyoming Announced by Interior Department

    New Wildlife Refuges in Tennessee, Wyoming Announced by Interior Department

    The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced two new wildlife refuges. The Wyoming Toad Conservation Area and the Paint Rock River National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee become the 569th and 570th refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the announcement comes amid National Wildlife Refuge Week, which started Oct. 7 and runs […]

    California Orders Bottled Water Company to Stop Drawing From Natural Springs Needed for Wildlife Habitat and Wildfire Protection

    California Orders Bottled Water Company to Stop Drawing From Natural Springs Needed for Wildlife Habitat and Wildfire Protection

    The California State Water Resources Control Board has ordered Arrowhead bottled water’s parent company BlueTriton to significantly reduce the amount of water it takes from natural springs in the San Bernardino National Forest. The company has been drawing water from the Strawberry Creek watershed, which provides protection from wildfires and serves as an important wildlife […]