The Beating Heart of the Mojave Desert
If passed, the California Desert Protection Act will protect over one million acres of the Mojave Desert’s last wild, scenic areas, with the creation of two new National Monuments: the Mojave Trails National Monument on former railroad lands adjoining historic U.S. Rt. 66, and the Sand to Snow National Monument, which would include areas from the desert floor of the Coachella Valley to the high country of the San Bernardino Mountains, along with several new wilderness areas providing greater species connectivity across the region.
Exploring the Roadless Area Conservation Rule
The Obama administration recently granted a new yearlong extension to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, originally enacted in 2001 in the waning days of the Clinton administration after the largest Forest Service public comment effort since the 1960s. Treehuggers International welcomes Mike Anderson from the Wilderness Society’s Pacific Northwest office in Seattle to talk about the creation of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, the benefit of roadless areas, and the Roadless Rule’s hurdles during the Bush years.
Below the Surface at the Gulf of Mexico
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and resulting three-month well blowout has become the largest maritime oil spill in history, and one of the worst environmental calamities ever. The spill has also come to personify the worst excesses of elite corporate greed, enabled regulatory laxness, bureaucratic inertia, and the destruction of a way of life dependent upon the sea. Below the Surface co-founder Jared Criscuolo recently returned from an emergency trip to the Gulf Coast.
Prop. 21 Gives California State Parks Hope
Treehuggers International supports the California Parks Access Pass, which will generate $500 million a year exclusively for California State Parks, and remove parks funding from the political roller coaster of the general fund.
Because Old Packs Never Die: Adventure 16 and the Donate-A-Pack Foundation
Everyone knows if you’re heading into the wilderness on a backpacking adventure, there are a few pieces of gear you absolutely need, even beyond the 10 Essentials. Adventure 16 President John D. Mead and Donate-A-Pack Foundation President David MacDonald reveal how used outdoor gear, perhaps gathering dust in your garage, may spark a child’s interest in the outdoors and the environment.
The Ceiling of Southern California and the San Bernardino National Forest Association
Like a growing number of National Forests around the country, the San Bernardino National Forest is assisted in their mission by the San Bernardino National Forest Association, which complements their efforts by bringing in volunteer forces and funding to help with restoration, capital projects, and other initiatives, and stands as a model for similar associations and conservancies.
Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River Opportunities In the Golden State
With multiple Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River proposals in Southern California, including the San Gabriel Mountains, northern San Diego County, and as part of the 2010 Mojave Desert Protection Act, it’s an exciting time for Daniel Rossman from the Wilderness Society and Steve Evans from Friends of the River. Featuring on-location audio from San Antonio Falls and Icehouse Canyon.
Pro Peninsula Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival
Pro Peninsula’s Giuliana Schroeder and Rachel Tuck discuss the films on tap at this year’s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival March 23rd and 25th, as well as ongoing outreach to Baja fishing communities.
