Conservation

The Arctic Refuge Lease Sale Was a Flop
January 07, 2021 — As many predicted, the first auction of oil rights in the wildlife refuge earned taxpayers a tiny fraction of what pro-drilling politicians promised.
Trump to Birds: Drop Dead
January 05, 2021 — Just days before leaving office, the administration has finalized its three-year rush to gut the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—despite a court ruling that its position is against the law and will increase preventable bird deaths.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Faces Its Biggest Threat Yet This Week
January 04, 2021 — After decades of attempts, Wednesday will bring the first-ever sale of oil leases in the wild Alaskan haven, with a tundra-damaging seismic survey soon to follow—unless a judge steps in.
As Construction Begins on a Minnesota Oil Line, Native Activists Keep Fighting
December 24, 2020 — Environmental and Indigenous critics of the pipeline have spent years opposing Enbridge's Line 3. They aren't giving up now.
Government Proposes First Take Permit for Condor Deaths at a Wind Farm
December 23, 2020 — As endangered California Condors recover, they are veering toward wind turbines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing for the inevitable.
Water and Natural Infrastructure Get Major Boost in End-of-Year Deal
December 21, 2020 — The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 will direct important resources to ecosystem restoration projects, water conservation, and natural infrastructure projects.
In a Historic Move, Biden Picks Haaland as First Native American Interior Secretary
December 18, 2020 — If confirmed, the New Mexico congresswoman will oversee tribal affairs, important wildlife habitat, and one-fifth of the country's land area.
How Researchers Hope to Save the Florida Scrub-Jay From an Inbreeding Crisis
December 17, 2020 — Human development has caused the bird's gene pool to shrink. An ambitious experiment to relocate scrub-jay families could bring reprieve, while also pointing the way to preserving other threatened species.
An Innovative Effort to Return Loons to Massachusetts Hits a Major Milestone
December 17, 2020 — New recovery techniques have helped the iconic waterbirds nest in the state's glacial lakes for the first time in more than a century.
Brown-Headed Nuthatches Are Back in the Ozarks for the First Time in a Century
December 17, 2020 — An effort to restore the region's historic woodlands is showing signs of success. Now conservationists hope to reestablish the long-gone songbirds.