A huge amount of federal land is dedicated to domestic livestock grazing to produce a very small amount of feed and forage for the nation’s beef and lamb supply.

This is the third of three Public Lands Blog posts that focus on Oregon’s coast. Part 1 looked at Oregon’s (and the nation’s) “blue carbon” and a congressional effort to conserve and restore it. Part 2 examined coastal wetland loss, conservation, and restoration. Part 3 describes a now very rare type of coastal wetland: the forested tidal swamp.

This is the second of three Public Lands Blog posts that focus on Oregon’s coast. Part 1 looked at Oregon’s (and the nation’s) “blue carbon” and a congressional effort to conserve and restore it. Part 2 examines coastal wetland loss, conservation, and restoration. Part 3 will describe a now very rare type of coastal wetland: the tidal swamp or tidal forested wetland.

This is the first of three Public Lands Blog posts that focus on Oregon’s coast. Part 1 looks at Oregon’s (and the nation’s) “blue carbon” and a congressional effort to conserve and restore it. Part 2 will examine coastal wetland loss, conservation, and restoration. Part 3 will describe a now very rare type of coastal wetland: the tidal swamp or tidal forested wetland.

Most fish and wildlife funding in the United States goes to game species. However, a third of our wildlife species are imperiled and/or vulnerable, and mostly not because of hunting and fishing

The FSC is back with a new document signaling its continuing quest to certify wood products that come from federal public lands (including units of the National Park System) as being “environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous.” The standards FSC is proposing to apply to federal forestlands are little more than what is required of federal land management agencies now, if that. It’s called greenwashing.

A preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force recommending a ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.

The Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin Desert, and the Mojave Desert come together in Washington County, Utah, where the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (RCNCA) is generally centered. In this transition zone, unusual plant and animal species have evolved, including the dwarf bearclaw-poppy (Arctomecon humilis) and Shivwits milk-vetch (Astragalus ampullarioides), small native plants that grow nowhere else on earth.

After decades of dithering, the Fish and Wildlife Service has finally proposed listing the species as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). But a special rule appended to the proposed listing creates a conundrum: Does ESA protection take precedence over wilderness area protection?

The old forests of the Pacific Northwest are in far better condition today than they would be if not for Professors Jerry F. (for Forest!) Franklin and K. Norman Johnson. “Norm and Jerry,” as they are affectionately (or, depending upon your point of view, derisively) known, have had a greater positive impact on federal forest policy in the Pacific Northwest than any other individuals.

Soon after the first attacks on the roadless rule, legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to “codify” the roadless rule into a statute, making it part of the United States Code. The first roadless area bills were introduced in 2002 in the 107th Congress. The bills have been reintroduced in most, but not all, Congresses since 2002 and are due to be introduced again.

“Despite spending over $17 billion on fish recovery efforts, Idaho salmon and steelhead numbers are not improving and will continue to get worse,” says Representative Mike Simpson (R-2-ID). “Will we spend $20 billion more in the next thirty years only to have them go extinct anyway? The worse they get, the more we will spend.”

The proposed River Democracy Act (RDA) would expand 42 existing wild and scenic rivers (WSRs) and establish 81 new wild and scenic rivers. All the proposed new and expanded components are listed at the end of this post.

This preremembrance is the first of an Oregon conservationist who never held elected office (though Brock tried once) or was the environmental soul of one who did. I’d had it in the back of my mind to preremember Brock, but other Public Lands Blog topics kept taking priority. Now the publication of Brock’s autobiography makes this preremembrance rise to the top.

Upon the election last November of Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., as the 46th president of the United States, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief for the environment, the body politic, and the republic. Goodbye, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

This last post of the year to my Public Lands Blog is a bit different in that it focuses less on public lands and more on public democracy (though I haven’t forgotten public lands). It is also uncharacteristically short. I’m eschewing graphics, as any relevant images would be of politicians.

The Elliott State Forest (ESF) was about to be sold to a timber syndicate that would promptly liquidate almost all of its remaining old trees. Reaction to the State Land Board’s 2016 plan to sell the Elliott State Forest to a timber syndicate. Source: Francis Eatherington.

This is the third of three Public Lands Blog posts on state-owned forestlands in Oregon. Part 1 focused on a prospective habitat management plan for state forestlands in western Oregon. Part 2 surveyed state forests in Oregon by location, owner, and manager. Part 3 examines several key issues pertaining to state forest management in Oregon and explores how to secure the greatest permanent value of state forestlands to the state.

This is the second of three Public Lands Blog posts on state-owned forestlands in Oregon. Part 1 focused on a prospective habitat management plan for state forestlands in western Oregon. Part 2 surveys state forests in Oregon by location, owner, and manager. Part 3 will examine several key issues pertaining to state forest management in Oregon and explore how to secure the greatest permanent value of state forestlands to the state.

This is the first of three Public Lands Blog posts on state-owned forestlands in Oregon. Part 1 focuses on a prospective habitat management plan for state forestlands in western Oregon. Part 2 will survey state forests in Oregon by location, owner, and manager. Part 3 will examine several key issues pertaining to state forest management in Oregon and explore how to secure the greatest permanent value of state forestlands to the state.