In fact, since 2005, the process of hydraulic fracturing—used to extract natural gas–has been free from SDWA protections.

Hydraulic what?

Hydraulic fracturing is a means of extracting natural gas by blasting a solution of water, sand and chemicals into underground rock formations at high pressure.

By disturbing these rock formations, underground aquifers are subject to pollutants as well as the surface water to which they are connected.

Hydraulic fracturing provides the opportunity to tap difficult wells or to ramp up production of aging wells. However, the concern is that this disruption will also release previously undisturbed chemicals into the watershed such as mercury and arsenic.

A recent U.S. House resolution, the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009 (FRAC Act), calls for companies to disclose what chemicals they are using in their processes–noting that the disposal of this drilling water mixture must be disposed of afterward.

With SWDA supervision, natural gas companies would be held accountable for the chemicals they are drilling into communities’ water supplies.

Click here to tell Congress to pass the FRAC Act today.

- By Kolleen Kawa, National Wildlife Federation

Yet unfortunately, the previous administration opted to lease the last untouched piece of the Roan Plateau — a whopping 55,000 acres — for natural gas development.

On top of the plateau, the leaseholder also wants to drill 3,200 wells– a dramatic increase from the environmental-impact analysis that accounted for just 210 drilling pads.

BUT, all hope is not yet lost!

When the Bureau of Land Management leased these lands in August 2008, they faced an outcry from diverse groups opposing the deal.

In addition to wildlife and nature enthusiasts — hunters, fisherman and even ranchers sent out resolutions to preserve the area they admired for its striking shale cliffs, streams full of cutthroat troat, and healthy populations of elk and mule deer.

With a new administration we have a new chance to make sure the voice for protection of the Roan is loud and clear.

Right now, Secretary Salazar has the opportunity to cancel these leases before drilling threatens the biologically diverse area that he also so clearly admires.

Take a moment today to send this quick message to Secretary Salazar , urging him to cancel these leases before this treasured American landscape is devastated by drilling.

The good news is that this year, four species were removed from the candidate list as the USFWS decided they no longer require extensive protection!

One success story is that of the brown pelican that has recovered primarily due to the banning of the harmful pesticide DDT.

While this offers some hopeful news for a few select species like the brown pelican, with the looming effects of climate change, the opposite scenario also continues to unfold.

America’s wildlife and wild places are already feeling the impacts of rising global temperatures:

• Rapidly melting ice habitats are crippling polar bear and seal populations
• Cold water fish like salmon and trout are at risk as stream temperatures rise
• Large mammals like moose face warm weather stress and increasing parasites such as ticks and brainworms
• Birds that now migrate further north for winter contend with new prey and feeding challenges

Furthermore, an ever increasing number of animal species face difficulty breeding, migrating and providing care for their young as their habitats shrink.

The facts are clear. We can’t wait for more species to become endangered. If climate change worsens we will see less butterflies, coral reefs, Florida panthers and mallard ducks.

Labeling a species as endangered might bring awareness and temporary aid, but it will not curtail the greatest threat facing all wildlife today.

When students in my suburban hometown entered seventh grade, we took a trip to explore the ecosystem of the Fox River — the tributary that divided our town in half.

Children that grew up in the area knew how the wildlife that lived along the river were endangered by toxins in the watershed.

With help from our science teacher, we also learned how whole chains of animals thrived because of this river–from the mayflies and crawfish to small mammals.

After trudging home full of river mud, we felt compelled to revitalize our river and assure that the water would be cleaner for the next generation of students.

Teaching children about the watershed in their area helps them understand the importance of caring for their local water supply.

Whether they can walk alongside a prominent river or if they must venture out to see a small creek, they must understand water does not begin and end in their faucet.

Currently, U.S. representatives are working on a bill to promote environmental literacy on watersheds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has already implemented the Bay-Watershed Education and Training and Environmental Literacy Grant programs, but it needs support to reach more youth.

So, please take a moment today to urge your representative to support this bill to increase environmental education programs in communities across the nation.

By Kolleen Kawa, National Wildlife Federation

While visitors to the Grand Canyon area see impressive vistas, rock formations and wildlife populations, some of these companies see an opportunity for destructive and consumptive land use.

Fortunately, Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, restored protection of this one million-acre area surrounding the Grand Canyon again this July. The ban restricts all new uranium mining projects for a two-year period in which the U.S. Department of the Interior will evaluate mining impacts on the lands.

Mining companies claim that because their projects must follow Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act standards, they are safe. Yet no total assessment of uranium mining in the Grand Canyon area has been undertaken until now.

Although an exploration permit does not guarantee actual drilling will be approved, Grand Canyon admirers and residents of the area have every reason to be concerned with the impacts of mining. The canyon is one of our nation’s most impressive natural destinations and it’s disheartening to think this refuge for wildlife and outdoor activists alike is not free from harmful mining practices.

One tributary of the Colorado River–Horn Creek–is under investigation due to its high radioactive levels. The Colorado River is not just a stream meandering along the Grand Canyon, it also provides water to millions of people and wildlife surrounding the desert area.

Not only is the radioactivity of water a concern, but also the leaching of mercury and arsenic from these mines. Residents relying on water from the Colorado River can’t settle for an answer that its “safe enough” until a proper assessment is done.

There has been an outpouring of support for the ban of new uranium mining from American Indian tribes, Arizona residents and city and county officials, but you don’t have to be a resident of the West to show how much you value the preservation of America’s Grand Canyon lands.

Add your voice today by telling the Bureau of Land Management to approve a long-term ban of new uranium mining projects near the precious lands of the Grand Canyon.

Four signature sites of this year’s celebration were the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC; Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, California; Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles, CA; and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA.

In addition to those who participated at one of these signature sites, thousands across the country took part in local public lands events, helping them to gain knowledge about critical environmental issues facing their communities and about the need to be stewards for these precious areas.

Although this national event is aimed toward building community and improving public lands for recreation, restoring America’s public lands also ensures vital habitat protection for our nation’s wildlife.

As one example, Wyoming’s Powder River Basin serves as a favorite recreation destination for outdoor enthusiasts out west while its Fortification Creek area also provides an important elk habitat.

Unfortunately right now, this critical area of public land is being slated for coal bed methane gas development. This process requires draining the existing aquifer to reach the methane and then disposing of this saline water. Furthermore, the environmental impacts of this extraction are still not fully understood.

Already, drilling has been approved for this area even though no research has been completed on the potentially devastating effects of this decision for the people that enjoy this land and the wildlife that call it home.

We can’t wait for another rugged area to be lost to destructive oil and gas development on public lands. Speak up today and tell Bureau of Land Management director Bob Abbey to slow this hasty project that threatens Wyoming’s Fortification Creek area.

As part of last Friday’s National Day of Service, I–together with a crew of my fellow staff from National Wildlife Federation–spent the morning gardening with students at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Washington DC.

In addition to being part of the National Day of Service, NWF was also participating in Green the Block –a national event organized by Green For All and the Hip Hop Caucus, focused on helping low-income communities of color become leaders in the clean energy movement.

With rain pouring down that morning, we were a little apprehensive about the idea of digging and planting, but as the kids got more revved up inside with great speakers and a round of nature jeopardy, the rain subsided and we were excited to start.

Armed with spades and gloves (four sizes too big), the students dug right into their planting projects–clearing plots, planting bushes and flowers, and spreading mulch around the school garden.

When their teacher told them it was time to come inside, they whined, “but we’re just starting to have fun!” Their energy was contagious.

Most students told us they didn’t have gardens at home and this opportunity to plant at their school was their only exposure to gardening. Sure, they tracked in a lot of mud as they filed inside for lunch, but they were beaming with pride over their new plot.

To wrap up our morning adventure, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, stopped by to thank us for helping connect the school with nature. As a child who was encouraged to play in the dirt, it was my pleasure.

“Rev” (as he likes to be called) pointed out how it’s this generation of students who will have to face the effects of global warming.They will have to lead their communities from projects as simple as planting an urban garden to ones as complex as transitioning to new clean energy sources. NWF’s Fair Climate Project shares the goal of getting youth in underserved communities to engage in climate change solutions and adaptations.

If you participated in a Green the Block or a National Day of Service event last week, be sure to let us know! You can enter a photo into the Fair Climate Project’s photo contest to show how you’re working toward climate solutions in your community.

To learn more about NWF’s efforts to connect kids with nature visit nwf.org/beoutthere

The “Write it! Wear it! Snap it! Boast it!” Contest from NWF’s Our Public Lands is wrapping up, but you still have time to enter.

To enter the contest, all you need to do is order a T-shirt that features the new fan-submitted motto and wear it to your public lands spot of choice. Then take a photo of you in your shirt and submit it to the photo gallery. That’s right, it’s just that simple!

To find out the public lands nearest to you, you can check out: publiclands.org

Besides the enjoyment of taking photos of your favorite outdoor scenes with your friends and family, the grand prize winner of the contest will be featured in an ad that will run in a major national outdoor magazine AND receive a 1-year National Parks pass.

So before you head out this Labor Day weekend, grab your camera, put on your Our Public Lands tee and then snap away!*

*And be sure to get your submission in before the September 30 deadline.

Here’s a chance for you to bring your unique perspective from your niche of the world.

When I think of how climate change affects my local environment, I don’t just consider the problems – but the critical solutions too. For example, I see the landfill in my Midwestern hometown that rose above all other points on the horizon, but I also think of the mammoth but graceful wind turbines I see when driving through rural Illinois.

So now’s your turn. Bring your camera along for your next ride or walk around your community and capture the local impacts of climate change.

Besides telling your story, what’s in it for you?

Well for one, the top two photos will win an opportunity to meet with your elected leaders in Washington DC.

PLUS, every image will make a mark because all the photos will be made into a photo collage that will be delivered to the U.S. Senate and help communicate the urgency of addressing climate change for our environment and our communities across America.

So, get your shutter snapping and be sure to submit your photo by September 15th.

Your pictures can be worth a thousand words and you also don’t want to miss your possibility to meet with your decision makers!

For more details visit: fairclimateproject.org/photocontest