The nation’s parks are generally thought to be pristine natural havens. But a recent study finds the overwhelming majority suffer from air pollution problems like smog and ozone. That makes for important local and regional news stories, per the latest biweekly TipSheet. Get background, story ideas, resources and more.
"As debate cranks up over mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are exploring ways to fix, nurture and maintain America's treasured public lands and waters on an increasingly tight budget."
"The Wilderness Society is suing the Trump administration to try to force the release of documents on its decision to lift restrictions on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota."
"The Trump administration, under heavy pressure from Congress, will withdraw plans to end a U.S. Forest Service program that trains underprivileged youth, spokespersons for the Agriculture and Labor departments told POLITICO."
"Bills that would reduce the massive deferred maintenance backlog on public lands and establish mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, among others, are poised to advance tomorrow [Wednesday] in the House."
"The Lorax would be devastated to hear that the tree that inspired Dr. Seuss' 1971 children's book has fallen."
"A new proposed rule from the U.S. Forest Service designed to make environmental reviews more efficient would shortcut important oversight of industry plans, environmentalists say."
A decades-old environmental jobs program that provided work for thousands of disadvantaged young people across more than a dozen states has been hit with one of the largest federal downsizings in a decade. Find out how the closing of some Civilian Conservation Centers may be a story near you, from the latest TipSheet.
"President Jair Bolsonaro appears intent on decriminalizing Amazon deforestation, ending most fines, straitjacketing law enforcement, and gutting environmental agencies with mass firings."
"The chief of the U.S. Forest Service is warning that a billion acres of land across America are at risk of catastrophic wildfires like last fall's deadly Camp Fire that destroyed most of Paradise, Calif."
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