The fate of a one-of-a-kind bird that lives in a one-of-a-kind landscape is in limbo. So, why should anyone care? There are more than 350 reasons why. That’s the number … Read more
Judith Kohler’s Archive
Give Sage-grouse a Home on the Range — Not in a Cage
Sagebrush — that’s just the scrubby vegetation you have to drive through to get to the pretty pine trees and the mountains, right? Who cares what happens to it? Well, … Read more
The Antiquities Act Turns 111! How About a Hundred More Years?
The Antiquities Act, which has been integral to building our nation’s public-lands legacy, is 111 years strong. Americans’ love of and support for our public lands remains strong, too. Support … Read more
Overturning Methane Rule is Bad Public Policy, Bad Business
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to employ a little-used legislative tool known as the Congressional Review Act to undo a common-sense Bureau of Land Management rule to … Read more
Energy Leases Canceled in Wildlife Habitat
The Interior Department has signed off on two decisions cancelling oil and gas leases on fish and wildlife habitat covering more than 70,000 acres. The areas affected — the Roan … Read more
‘Pedal to the metal’ to save the Greater Sage-Grouse
On Sept. 22, 2015, with the Front Range of the Rockies as a backdrop, Secretary Jewell announced the greater sage-grouse didn’t have to be placed on the endangered species list, thanks … Read more
Hard-Rock Mining Law Stuck in the Past
On Aug. 5, 2015, an estimated 3 million gallons of heavy-metal-laden mine wastewater washed down the San Juan Mountains into southwest Colorado’s Animas River. The water turned a sickly mustard yellow all … Read more
Vieques Wildlife Refuge Saved from Auction Block
The decision by members of Congress to leave the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge intact benefits thousands of wildlife species, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth. This … Read more
Congress, Leave the Strutting to Sage-Grouse
The greater sage-grouse’s annual mating dance on leks, or breeding grounds, is a one-of-a-kind spectacle that draws bird watchers from around the world to the Western U.S. The male sage-grouse … Read more
Birthday Gift Ideas for the National Wildlife Refuge System!
Here are a few ideas: Better fund the refuges Our public lands include more than 560 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts covering more than 150 million acres … Read more
