#Trump admin moves ahead to end #roadless rule on #NationalForests
Environmentalists [warn] …lifting protections will have detrimental effects for old growth #forests, #wildlife & #water supplies.
“Americans across the political spectrum have made it crystal clear that they don’t want political appointees removing protections from #PublicLands,” said Chris Krupp, an attorney with the group WildEarth Guardians.
#law #SaveRoadless #conservation #ClimateChange
apnews.com/article/roadless-ru…
#Border “Security” Construction Paused at #BigBend #NationalPark in #Texas.
Construction of a new #BorderPatrol road & barriers through some of the park’s major attractions has drawn bipartisan criticism & national attention.
Local law enforcement have said the border infrastructure is costly & unnecessary in a desolate & undeveloped area where few migrants have ever crossed, even during times of peak migration.
#law #immigration #PublicLands #Trump #GovernmentWaste
nytimes.com/live/2026/08/17/us…
Rio Grande and Ute Mountain
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, NM
Something different this time for #SaturdayScenery This is a "still" from a full 360º aerial panorama that can be viewed here: kuula.co/post/5Jvxm
You have to view the pano to actually see Ute Mountain and look along the gorge. If I get positive feedback I will do this again on Saturdays. If not... oh, well.
#landscape #aerialView #PublicLands #NewMexico #UAV
Rio Grande and Ute Mountain, Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico. Initial view upstream toward Colorado with Ute Mountain to the right (east.) This is the northern section of the famous gorge. September 26, 2023Kuula
At least some of the aircraft were DIVERTED from efforts to contain #wildfires elsewhere in the state‼️‼️, according to 2 agency officials & the Post analysis of the flight paths.
Communications reviewed by The Washington Post sent during the response to the blaze corroborate that Boren personally directed #USFS staff to address the Cabin Creek Fire.
#law #AbuseOfPower #billionaires #Trump #RichWhiteMalePrivilege #NationalForest #PublicLands #ClimateChange
In total, about 9 aircraft, including helicopters, air tankers & tactical planes, responded to the fire ‼️ on July 12, acc/to an analysis of flight paths, part of an effort that lasted a few hours & cost nearly $115,000 in federal money [ #TaxpayersMoney ] ‼️. The analysis found that these assets traveled from across the West to Idaho’s Alturas Lake, near where the Cabin Creek Fire was burning.
#law #AbuseOfPower #billionaires #Trump #RichWhiteMalePrivilege #NationalForest #PublicLands #wildfires
In those calls, according to the #USFS official with knowledge of the situation, Boren pushed for more aircraft to fight the fire even though “it was easily accessible by ground,” the official said.
He “was on the phone calling people that day asking why there weren’t more resources on the fire & when there was going to be more,” the official said.
#law #AbuseOfPower #billionaires #Trump #RichWhiteMalePrivilege #NationalForest #PublicLands #wildfires #ClimateChange
Two other agency officials said he called those offices, including at least once in the middle of the night. [must be nice to have government resources at your personal disposal for your private property]
Six current & former #USFS officials said the response was far greater than what is typical for a fire of that scale that did not pose a significant threat to life or property.
#law #AbuseOfPower #billionaires #Trump #NationalForest #PublicLands #wildfires #ClimateChange
Boren, a #tech #billionaire & #Trump appointee, oversees about 200 million acres of #NationalForest & #PublicLands. He also owns thousands of acres in #Idaho, including the 480-acre Hell Roaring Ranch situated within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. And before his current role, Boren had clashed with the #USFS numerous times over the years.
Of course he did.
Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment [ #USDA #NRE ] Michael Boren, who oversees the US Forest Service [ #USFS ], asked agency staff last month to escalate the amount of aircraft at a small 7-acre #wildfire that had started near his mega-ranch in #Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest, acc/to 2 Forest Service ofcls familiar with the matter.
#law #AbuseOfPower #billionaires #Trump #NationalForest #PublicLands #ClimateChange
washingtonpost.com/weather/202…
A Quiet Rule Review Could Drain the Prairie Pothole Region, America’s “Duck Factory”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule revision would drain thousands of tiny-but-vital wetlands across the northern Great Plains.
#PublicLands #Wetlands
ourpubliclandsandwaters.substa…
Along Kebler Pass Road
Gunnison National Forest, CO
#SaturdayScenery #photo #landscape #wildflowers #PublicLands #Colorado
Renowned for the world’s tallest trees, Redwood’s landscapes span from open prairies and oak woodlands to pristine rivers and untamed coastline. This ancient home has supported people for thousands of years.www.nps.gov
The announcement comes as the #Trump admin has aggressively pursued opening #PublicLands to the #energy industry. This includes shrinking #NationalMonuments in #Utah, which would allow for #oil & #gas development, & reportedly pursuing the same in #Alaska, all while rolling back rules around bond requirements, public comments & procedural timelines around those lease sales.
#law #EnvironmentalLaw #FossilFuels #conservation #forests #wildlife #ecosystems #Ohio #WayneNationalForest #ClimateChange
Almost all of the sandy stretches on the country’s 8,000km of coastline are run for profit. Now ‘free beach’ campaigners are fighting back against the mafia, the military and those profiteering from sun loungers and cocktailsTobias Jones (the Guardian)
Lower Arch Canyon
Bears Ears National Monument, UT
I always admire photographers who are able capture the details in the darker areas of their landscape images. So I'm delighted that I seemed to be able to do that with this aerial image captured in DJI raw.
#SaturdayScenery #photo #landscape #redrock #PublicLands #UAV #storm #Utah
Okay, so the Forest Service is making it easy to get and consume offline USFS map by making their own app:
fs.usda.gov/visit/maps/mobile-…
Which looks spiffy. I haven't explored it enough to see if it falls over as much as the S1 Mobile thing did, but I have sorted out downloading and using maps offline.
No worries about having found out the steps to view vtpk and mmpk files, though. Austria and others also make free maps in the vtpk format.
Dyno, my faithful companion on her first mountain adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness. Read the full story (and see more pictures) here:
osteinerphoto.com/en/2025/07/1…
#WeminucheWilderness #Colorado #MountainHiking #AdventureDog #TrailDog #NaturePhotography #Backpacking #PublicLands #hiking
Thirteen years ago, I set off on a small adventure with my young dog Dyno. Southern Colorado, autumn, the Rocky Mountains. A Haute Route in mind, a bad weather forecast, and a four-legged companion…Olivier Steiner (Olivier Steiner Photography)
NEW: The First Major Overhaul of Public Lands Grazing Regulations in a Generation Looks to Cut Out Public Involvement
For the first time since 1995, the Bureau of Land Management is rewriting its grazing regulations. The new rule, which governs ranching across 155 million acres of public lands in the West, would heavily favor the livestock industry.
propublica.org/article/public-…
#News #PublicLands #Livestock #Cattle #Regulation #Native #Environment #Conservation
Renowned for the world’s tallest trees, Redwood’s landscapes span from open prairies and oak woodlands to pristine rivers and untamed coastline. This ancient home has supported people for thousands of years.www.nps.gov
Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers.www.nps.gov
