Land Management

House GOP Would Make It Easier for Feds to Give Public Lands Away to States

The rule would apply to any land owned by the federal government, almost all of which is in 11 Western states and Alaska.

  • By Jacob Fischler, Arizona Mirror

How 3 States Are Trying to Help Their Farmers Deal With Drought

Swaths of the country have baked this summer under hot and dry conditions, making it tougher to keep crops growing and livestock healthy. In some cases, state governments are stepping up work with their agriculture sectors in response.

  • By Molly Bolan

How Rethinking Land Use Can Boost Local Government Revenue

Governments looking to make revenue streams more dependable should consider revisiting land-use regulations, incentives and taking other steps, says a recent report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Forest Service Rushes to Hire Enough Firefighters Ahead of Wildfire Season

Stakeholders warn shortages again threaten the Biden's administration's approach to combatting the fires.

  • By Eric Katz

How Cities and Counties Are Dumping Abandoned Properties

Vacant building issues include unpaid property taxes, fires and crime, but localities are making some progress reining them in.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Hunting Destructive Feral Hogs Saves Livestock and Property—and Provides ‘Excellent Table Fare’

Hunters in Alabama can now legally hunt wild pigs at night, an additional method of controlling the destructive invasive species.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Smart, Proactive Land Management Crucial as Flooding Intensifies

COMMENTARY | Here are four ways to avoid the loss of life and expansive and expensive property damage while maintaining healthy watersheds.

  • By Todd Antoine

Report: Small Landlords Face Dramatic Drop in Rent Payments

In a study of two cities, 60% of renters paid in full in June 2020 compared with 77% the same month in 2019.

  • By Brent Woodie

A Bipartisan Push Could Change State Wildlife Protection

A bill in Congress would direct nearly $1.4 billion annually to state and tribal wildlife agencies to protect overlooked species.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

Republicans Grill Interior Nominee Over Potential Energy Job Losses

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland sought to downplay her previous statements against fracking and drilling, while also reiterating that the Biden administration is committed to shifting toward clean energy.

  • By Andrea Noble

‘Indian Country’ Is Excited about the First Native American Secretary of the Interior – and the Promise She Has for Addressing Issues of Importance to All Americans

COMMENTARY | U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland's record shows she is committed to making progress on larger challenges that affect all Americans, like climate, environmental protection, public lands and natural resource management.

  • By Traci Morris, The Conversation

Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough

Prescribed burns, which create buffers against larger fires, can do only so much.

  • By Amanda Monthei, The Atlantic
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Racial Justice Push Creates Momentum to Protect Black-Owned Land

The pandemic and new state and federal laws push landowners to plan for succession.

  • By April Simpson, Stateline

Can Protecting Land Promote Employment?

COMMENTARY | In New England, the answer is yes.

  • By Katharine Sims, Jonathan Thompson and Spencer Meyer, The Conversation

Heaps of Cash, Strong Odors and Other Challenges With Local Pot Regulation

“We’ve been basically building this airplane as we fly it,” said one local official as he discussed his county’s efforts to implement recreational marijuana legalization.

  • By Bill Lucia

California Town Launches 'Goat Fund Me' for Fire Prevention

Officials from Nevada City are crowdfunding the rental of a grazing goat herd to eat flammable plants on city-owned land.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

A Setback for Trump's Plan to Slash Public Lands

Environmentalists and tribes won an early legal advantage in their battle to protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

  • By Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic

Hovercraft Case in Alaska Tests Federal Rules on Rivers in National Parks

A 9th Circuit decision—now before the U.S. Supreme Court— is being viewed by some as a potential “springboard for the expansion of federal control over state-owned navigable waters throughout the country.”

  • By Laura Maggi

When the Beach Is Out of Reach—Coastal Access Becomes a Growing Concern

As Americans crowd toward the coasts, states and municipalities are caught in passionate battles about public access, while lawsuits seem headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • By Timothy B. Clark

Local Advocates Decry Proposed State ‘Bribe’ to Permit Drilling

House Republicans are pushing a plan that would financially incentivize states to drill for oil and gas and punish those that don’t.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

Senators Look at Policing Practices by Federal Land Management Agencies

“This issue is of great concern to communities throughout the West,” said Utah Sen. Mike Lee. “Increasingly, these communities find themselves as targets of overly zealous federal law-enforcement operations.”

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram