You are viewing news tagged as 'conservation'

Utah unveils final sage grouse plan to mixed reviews

April 26, 2013

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) today unveiled a final state plan for the imperiled greater sage grouse that he and others say will restore dwindling grouse habitat and prevent the bird from being listed as an endangered species.

But conservation groups that have reviewed the plan say it...

Wyo. wants sequestered royalty cash to buy Teton parcels

April 26, 2013

State Rep. Keith Gingery, of Jackson, is lobbying the state’s U.S. senators to fight for $53 million in mineral royalty payments withheld by the federal government.

If Wyoming’s representatives can regain the money, it could fund a deal for hundreds of acres in Grand Teton National Park...

Grizzly bear diet key to end of federal protection

April 26, 2013

A study on the nuances of Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bear diets due this October will determine whether managers will recommend ending federal protections for the species, officials said last week.

The study, called a food synthesis, will take a “holistic approach” to analyzing grizzly...

Greater sage grouse needs open space to survive, thrive, says study

April 24, 2013

The imperiled greater sage grouse needs miles of uninterrupted sagebrush steppe with little nearby human activity to survive, according to a new federal study that also notes that land managers do not have adequate regulations in place to preserve critical areas.

The study, conducted by...

Obama admin backs wilderness bill, cites concerns with streamlined grazing

April 24, 2013

The Obama administration yesterday said it generally approves of a bill to convey lands in western Nevada to support a copper mine in exchange for the designation of 48,000 acres of wilderness but said it still has concerns with a bill to streamline the permitting of grazing on public lands....

Calif. developers will buy 7,000 acres to offset Mojave Desert habitat damage

April 24, 2013

Solar developer BrightSource Energy has agreed to purchase 7,000 acres of land to compensate for the loss of habitat for an imperiled tortoise at the Ivanpah project in California's Mojave Desert.

The deal is the first under a 2010 California law to help renewable energy companies buy...

California lawmakers call for expansion of Yosemite National Park

April 22, 2013

State lawmakers are supporting a proposal to expand Yosemite National Park by 1,600 acres, restoring land stripped of its protection by Congress in 1906.

The state Senate approved a resolution this week that asks the federal government to approve the expansion.

If Congress approves...

GOP lawmakers want to strip president’s monument power

April 22, 2013

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday pushed legislation to exempt their states — including Utah — from the president’s power to unilaterally designate national monuments.

A month after President Barack Obama named five new national monuments — and on the 105th anniversary of the...

Tight budgets spur NPS push for more private funding

April 22, 2013

Five years ago this week, the Gettysburg National Military Park welcomed a $103 million museum and visitor center, complete with relics from the Battle of Gettysburg, interactive exhibits and a film narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.

But the park didn't pick up the tab -- the Gettysburg...

USFS buys more land to add to Lewis and Clark NF

April 19, 2013

The U.S. Forest Service, partnering with not-for-profit organizations, has purchased an additional 2,360 acres of land in the Tenderfoot Creek drainage northwest of White Sulphur Springs in an ongoing effort to protect wildlife habitat and ensure public access.

The Forest Service has...

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