Conserving Our Heritage
Staying connected across generations on the public lands we love.
A love for the land is part of our regional heritage and connects us across generations. Protecting public lands makes that legacy permanent. We should never reverse progress when it comes to protecting nature, habitats and treasured places. But lately lands, waterways and wildlife once understood to be safe are now vulnerable. Learn more about efforts to roll back our conservation progress.
Issue page: Climate change & public lands
Global human activity has altered three-quarters of the Earth’s lands, while within the United States, about a football field worth of natural area is converted to human development every 30 seconds. In the face of this crisis, scientists have urged us to conserve at least 30 percent of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030, a step that is necessary to prevent the unraveling of fundamental natural systems.Fact Sheet: Climate change & fishing
Climate change is causing lower water levels and higher temperatures in rivers and streams, changing fish habitats and making them more vulnerable to parasites and diseases. Fish under threat will weaken outdoor recreation economies.s
Fact sheet: Climate change & hunting
Species’ traditional habitats are impacted by climate disturbances, threatening wildlife populations. Changing habitats and migration patterns will impact where and how people hunt, bringing uncertainty to hunters and their communities.Podcast: Outside Voices w/ Sarah Shimazaki
Sarah Shimazaki, producer and host of the Outside Voices podcast, talks about why it’s so important to elevate the stories of groups who often aren’t reflected in traditional narratives about the outdoors.National park visitation broke records in 2019
Visitation at national parks soared to 327 million in 2019, an increase of 3 percent over visitation in 2018, and the third highest level since record-keeping began. These staggering visitation numbers are a reminder of the need to invest in our parks and ensure they are protected for future generations to enjoy.Podcast: Representatives Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland
Representative Deb Haaland and Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan join us in this episode of CWP’s Go West, Young Podcast, recorded at the Wildlife Corridors Summit in Taos, New Mexico.How the landmark public lands bill helps wildlife migration corridors
In a rare act of bipartisan agreement, Congress recently passed a package of public lands bills deemed the “Natural Resources Management Act.” The bill, called the “decades biggest public lands package,” could have a big impact on wildlife in the West.Storymap: America’s Public Lands Giveaway
Across the American West, millions of acres of public lands are currently leased for oil and gas drilling. These oil and gas companies drive the process to lease the public’s land, pay extremely low bid rates, and leave millions of idle leased acres off limits to other uses.Western States Conservation Scorecard
Public lands are what make the American West the American West. The Scorecard evaluates state policies in eight Western states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—considering each state’s commitment to protecting and enhancing public lands in three key areas: lands and access, outdoor recreation, and responsible energy development.
Outdoor voters support solutions to keep public lands protected, funded and open. Find out more about the solutions needed to protect our outdoor lifestyles.