To build the political power it needs, the conservation movement should connect nature loss to kitchen table issues and create policy solutions that working people will fight for.
Thousands of aging and forgotten dams — big and small — have outlived their usefulness. A nationwide dam removal effort, led by communities, would reduce public safety risks, bring rivers back to life, and boost economies.
In looking towards a new era of public land management, we should focus on the root causes of our current problems, which have been fueled by corporate power, rather than compromise our foundational conservation laws yet again.
Refocusing on locally-led problem solving and cooperative decision making may not be an easy or glamorous solution, but it is the only way to tackle the big challenges facing our public lands and waters. And it is exactly the kind of work our democracy needs right now.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, it’s time to add a new chapter to America’s conservation legacy, with private lands, market-based tools, and bottom-up approaches at the center.
The Endangered Species Act brought U.S. wildlife back from the brink, but new pressures—from a changing climate to anti-science ideology in Washington—threaten nature as never before. Instead of simply defending the status quo, we need new ideas, smart reforms, and a bold vision of abundant nature.
A law from 1887 broke up lands within Indian reservations, creating a “checkerboard” pattern and making it very difficult for Tribes to manage their lands. There is a fix for this.
