Until the newly-elected members of Congress settle in on Capitol Hill in January, we’re stuck in what’s known as a “lame duck” session of Congress. It’s an interesting period of time. On one hand, members that have not been re-elected have less political clout and may choose to take little or no action for the [...]
It’s the beginning of a new term for President Obama. Perhaps you’re like me and stayed up late to watch the election coverage last night. In Washington, D.C., it’s the cause for many a social gathering, including a huge crowd in front of the White House that I got to be smack dab in the [...]
Did you know that today is United Nations Day? The United Nations Charter entered into force on October 24th, 1947, replacing the League of Nations with an international organization dedicated to facilitating social, economic and environmental development and cooperative efforts. United Nations Day is dedicated to honoring the achievements of the United Nations Organization (UN), which [...]
Yesterday, I paid a visit to the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, Oregon, and I want to share my experience and a few photos with you because I discovered that whether you’re an avid outdoorsman or a city dweller, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the Hoyt Arboretum.
Growing up in New England, I feel lucky that I got to experience both impeccable fall weather and what I consider to be the most beautiful phenomena in nature: the leaves changing colors. I remember going on weekend hiking trips with my family where all we did was look at the trees. Things are quite [...]
Updating the U.S. Forest Service Planning Rule in April marked a major milestone in this country’s long history of forest management. Up to that point, the agency was operating under a rule that was created 30 years ago. The planning rule provides the agency with an overarching framework for how to create land-management plans for [...]
November elections are only a few months away and members of Congress have already left Capitol Hill to hit the campaign trail in their home states. Early Saturday morning, the Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) with a 62-30 vote, after the House passed the measure last week, which will keep the government up and [...]
Without the help of a sign or fence, it can be hard to see exactly where public land ends and privately-owned land begins. Wildlife can’t seem to tell the difference either. To a bird, a tree is a tree, regardless of who owns the land. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), nearly two [...]
Credit: The National Guard/ Flickr The western U.S. is experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record with blazes leaving over 8 million acres scorched, according to federal data. Damage from these fires has impacted areas from the Rocky Mountains of Montana all the way down to Southern California and Texas. As fires continue [...]
I’d like to take a moment to celebrate a major landmark in U.S. environmental policy that happened this week 48 years ago. Approved on September 3rd, the Wilderness Act of 1964 became the first piece of legislation in the U.S. to grant protection of designated wilderness areas under federal law. To protect these areas, the [...]
