Approximately 600 million acres of land and water in the United States belong to the public. These public lands are national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and monuments, owned by the public.
There are organizations devoted and committed to preserving access to these public lands that are habits for wildlife and opportunities for the American people to recreate and connect with nature. In this article, we examine some of their activities, projects, campaigns, and initiatives.
These organizations work to remodel how energy development should happen on public lands so that the existence of wildlife and water resources are not threatened while meeting America’s energy needs.
These organizations support and advocate for an increased budget for conservation programs. They help to secure the funding for conservation tools like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s premier program that acquire new places for outdoor recreation to protect important ecosystems.
They help advocate Congress, and other relevant federal agencies to implement conservation-friendly policies.
More importantly, these organizations help to protect public lands. They do this by actively protecting access to public lands. Their members and volunteers engage in cleaning the national parks and trails, clearing, and cleaning the waterways of debris that might affect wildlife.
They also work by making sure that renewable energy projects are well cited in ways that sustain wildlife and public lands.
There are groups like Leave No Trace which believe that ensuring and maintaining outdoor ethics in people is key. They offer training on how to minimize human impact on public spaces, how to respect wildlife, maintain safe campfires, and dispose of waste properly.
Contact us to learn more about these organizations.