News from the Field

Notes from the Field

Our regional offices have been hard at work on local, state, and regional challenges. Here's an overview of a few of those issues.

A Win for Roadless Areas in Washington State

We led a successful effort to reverse a proposal to remove 150,000 acres from the 2001 roadless area inventory for Washington’s Wenatchee, Okanogan, and Colville National Forests. Read More...

Huge Proposed Open-Pit Mine Threatens Bristol Bay, Alaska

The world's largest salmon run is in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, adjacent to Lake Clark National Park. But before long, the area could become known for the largest open-pit gold mine on the continent Read More...

Maine's Moosehead Lake Targeted by Developer

A Seattle-based developer is pressing the state of Maine to approve a plan that would transform Moosehead Lake into a large subdivision of homes, golf courses, roads, and more. Read More...

Washington County Wilderness Legislation Leaves Utah Wildlands At Risk

What began in 2004 as a promising effort to gather a broad range of public views and produce a balanced wilderness bill in Washington County, Utah, has gone awry. Read More...

Closing the Gap on the Uwharrie National Recreational Trail

The Uwharrie National Recreational Trail in central North Carolina is a popular route running north from Montgomery County to the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness Area. While 75 percent of this 40-mile trail lies within Uwharrie National Forest; the rest is on private property. Read More...

Hells Canyon NRA Needs Better Plan to Address Roads

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area consists of 650,000 acres along the Oregon-Idaho border. It has 531 miles of road open to traffic, but funding cannot keep up with repair needs, and the maintenance backlog is up to $16 million. Read More...

Air Pollution Taking Toll on Wind River Range

Wyoming’s Wind River Range is one of the most spectacular places in the Northern Rockies. Unfortunately, extensive natural gas drilling in the nearby Upper Green River Valley is dramatically reducing visibility, acidifying lakes, and soon could harm human health. Read More...

Funding for Maryland’s Program Open Space Diverted

For more than 35 years, Maryland’s Program Open Space has been a national model for states trying to preserve natural areas. Unfortunately, for three straight years, funding for the program has been partially diverted to other activities. Read More...