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World: Conservation 2.5 - An essential upgrade for human survival

We are entering a new phase in the conservation movement, a time when an increasing number of big businesses are willing to place a real value on ecosystem services, and work towards conserving natural resources.
Huffington Post, 01 February, 2012
TX: Climate scientists predict intensified drought

A panel of climate experts from Columbia University predicted that North America's worst drought in a decade, centered in Texas, is just the beginning of water-shortages for the region, thanks in part to climate change.
Chron.com, 01 February, 2012
Southeast: A plea for southern treasures

The Southern Environmental Law Center, based in Virginia, released its 2012 list of the most environmentally endangered places in the Southeast. The list changes annually, but some areas like the Chesapeake Bay remain a top concern year after year.
New York Times, 30 January 2012
WY: Historic ranch protected with conservation easement

One of Wyoming's oldest ranches will provide quality wildlife habitat forever thanks to a conservation easement protecting more than 10,000 acres, including migration routes for grazing wildlife and wetland habitats for birds.
Casper Star-Tribune, 28 January 2012
US: Snowy owls soar south in rare mass migration

Thousands of snowy owls are leaving their typical Arctic habitat and flying as far south as Oklahoma. An overabundance of lemmings last breeding season allowed the owls to have more offspring than usual - birds that are now driving the population south as they compete for limited food resources.
Reuters, 28 January 2012
World: Gene-altered crops are escaping into the wild

Researchers find that 80% of canola plants along roadsides in North Dakota contain genes altered artificially to make them more herbicide-resistant. This is just one example among hundreds of genetically modified crops escaping cultivation and growing in wild habitats.
Environmental Health News, 27 January 2012
World: Researchers conclude easily extracted oil peaked in 2005

A new analysis looking at oil use and production trends finds that the earth's available reserves are no longer able to respond to increases in demand, and that extracting remaining reserves will become increasingly expensive, causing considerable damage to the global economy.
Scientific American, 25 January 2012
World: Ocean acidification a hundred times greater than natural variation

Researchers at the University of Hawaii found that calcium carbonate ion concentrations in seawater at many different sites worldwide are at their lowest levels in nearly a million years, endangering shellfish, corals, and other organisms that rely on calcium carbonate to survive.
Mongabay, 24 January 2012
WV: DOE slashes gas estimate for Marcellus Shale

The U.S. Department of Energy decreased its estimate of total natural gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale formation from 410 to 141 trillion cubic feet. The nation currently consumes about 24.1 trillion cubic feet every year.
Charleston Gazette, 23 January 2012
FL: Conservation easement protects important swamp ecosystem

The Suwannee River Water Management District has helped reach a deal with landowners that will protect 18,428 acres of wetland habitat around California Lake from development and logging.
Suwannee Democrat, 20 January 2012
US: White-nose syndrome claims more than 5 million bats

According to a new report, white-nose syndrome has killed between 5.7 and 6.7 million bats in eastern North America, often claiming 70-100 percent of individuals in infected caves. Each species fills a very specific ecological niche, and together they save farmers over $3 billion annually by eating crop pests.
New York Times, 19 January 2012
ME: 17,600-acre forest conservation project

The state of Maine received $8.73 million in federal awards to preserve two western Maine forest properties from development. The properties protect important forest habitats and buffer 10 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Sun Journal, 19 January 2012
US: Education group to defend climate change science

The National Center for Science Education will begin offering support to public school teachers and schools on the contentious topic of climate change.
Forbes, 18 January 2012
UT: Controlling nutrient water pollution

The Division of Water Quality is studying how best to remove nutrient pollution from some of the state's most important waterways. Much of the rest of the nation already has stricter regulations on nutrient pollution, but the move is still expected to add hundreds of millions to Utah sewer bills.
Standard-Examiner, 16 January 2012
World: Conserving biodiversity could benefit the world's poor

A global analysis found that over half the global value of ecosystem services benefitting the world's poorest people originates in areas that are a high priority for conservation.
American Institute of Biological Sciences, 12 January 2012
NV: Las Vegas water demands threaten rural valleys

A decade-long drought has Las Vegas looking to diversify its water sources, but conservation groups and rural residents agree that pumping water away will be too detrimental for the targeted river basins.
ClimateWire, Environment & Energy News, 11 January 2012
WA: Glaciers shrinking on Mount Adams

A Portland State University study found that Mount Adams' 12 glaciers have shrunk by nearly half since 1904 and are receding faster than those on nearby Mount Hood and Mount Rainier.
Associated Press, 08 January 2012
NC: State of the Environment report's data mixed

A state report that itself received mixed reviews from environmental groups found that North Carolina's air quality is higher than 20 years ago, but that rising population is presenting new environmental challenges for the Tar Heel State.
The News and Observer, 07 January 2012
NY: EPA announces proposals to clean up Gowanus Canal

After conducting studies of Brooklyn's polluted Gowanus Canal, the EPA has offered two viable plans to turn the infamous 1.8-mile body of water into a healthy urban waterway.
The New York Times, 04 January 2012
World: 2011 in energy and environmental policy

A recap of a few of the biggest stories and trends in energy and environmental policy over the last year.
The Washington Post, 26 December 2011
DC: Washington's big dig aims to clean up Potomac

A $2.6 billion project will cut roughly 16 miles of tunnels to keep overflow sewage and stormwater out of the Potomac River. The project should be completed by 2025.
Reuturs, 28 December 2011
ID, MT: Trucking trout to their native streams

In an innovative conservation effort, biologists on the Clark Fork River are using genetic testing to help get bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) back to their natal streams to spawn.
The New York Times, 22 December 2011
World: Could public health benefits make combating climate change free?

The rising global public health costs of climate change provide a powerful incentive to take serious steps toward mitigating its effects.
Scientific American, 21 December 2012
Northeast: Bat scientists see ray of hope in white nose fight

White nose syndrome - caused by a deadly fungus that grows on bats while they hibernate - has decimated many Northeastern bat populations, but scientists have recently found small intact populations that seem to resist the fungus. Now the question is why.
Burlington Free Press, 20 December 2011
World: Warming will transform natural world

A NASA study finds that rising global temperatures will drive nearly half the planet's ecosystems towards radical change. Species may find it difficult to adapt or migrate due to barriers created by human development.
Miami Herald, 19 December 2011
VA: Some residents oppose preparations for climate related sea-level rise

In a case of a minority voice trying to shout down the majority, some conservative Virginians are heatedly opposing local governments' preparations for sea level rise caused by climate change.
The Washington Post, 17 December 2011
WI: Couple donates largest state conservation easement ever

An Illinois couple donated 3,195 acres - nearly 5 square miles - of Squirrel River shoreline, pine barrens, and cross-country ski trails in Oneida County to a Wisconsin land trust.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 December 2011
ID: New conservation easement forms part of pronghorn migration corridor

Blaine County commissioners approved a grant to help fund the purchase of a 1,114 acre conservation easement. The land forms part of an important migration corridor for pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana).
Idaho Mountain Express, 14 December 2011
MA: Cap and trade gives economy a critical boost

Defying naysayers, a new report finds that the state of Massachusetts added 3,800 jobs and nearly $500 million in economic activity thanks to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Inside Climate News, 14 December 2012
US: Land trusts in the West thrive thanks to the Great Recession

Even as many environmental groups trim budgets and federal conservation funding falters, private land conservation continues to grow in popularity and acreage across the American West.
High Country News, 12 December 2011
Chesapeake Bay watershed: Cleaning the Chesapeake

In an effort to improve the Chesapeake Bay's water quality, the EPA used its authority under the Clean Water Act to set total maximum daily loads for major pollutants entering the Bay.
Chemical and Engineering News, 12 December 2011
World: Climate conference approves landmark deal

The UN climate conference in Durban, South Africa announced Sunday that it reached a hard-fought agreement to set in place a means for controlling global climate change in the coming decades.
Associated Press, 11 December 2012
World: A conversation about biodiversity

Shahid Naeem, a biosustainability scientist and professor at Columbia University, shares his views on the importance of biodiversity and the changing face of modern ecology.
The Atlantic, 10 December 2011
AK: US plans its first megadam in 40 years

Alaskan authorities will soon file plans for a 213-meter hydroelectric megadam on the Susitna river near Anchorage. Opponents say the dam will disrupt a caribou migration route and destroy habitat for Sorex yukonicus, a rare and elusive shrew.
New Scientist, 08 December 2011
TX: Boggy Slough conservation easement protects Neches River forests

Temple-Inland and the Conservation Fund worked together to donate a conservation easement of 4,458 acres of bottomland hardwood forest along the Neches River in east Texas.
Diboll Free Press, 07 December 2011
NJ: Organized crime gets into recycling

Mobsters have a long history of making a killing in the garbage-hauling business, but a New Jersey commission says they have gone green by infiltrating the commercial recycling business.
Seattle P.I., 06 December 2011
FL: Cautious hope for Everglades protection

Despite a negative record on Everglades protection, recent promises by Florida Governor Rick Scott display a new dedication to preservation of the iconic wetlands.
NPR, 05 December 2011
World - New study finds three-quarters of climate change almost certainly man-made

A Swiss study found that natural climate variability is extremely unlikely to have contributed more than about one-quarter of the temperature rise in the last 60 years.
Nature, 04 December 2011
World - Businesses warm to going green

At a sustainability meeting for business executives, it's becoming clear that 'going green' often makes good business sense, and that many big businesses are becoming important proponents of sustainability.
Marketplace, 02 December 2011
VA: Northern Virginians set aside land for the future

Landowners in Northern Virginia protected nearly 4,000 acres through conservation easements between 2005 and 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Land Trust Alliance.
Washington Post, 01 December 2011
CO: Complex world of soil studied by Colorado State scientists

Colorado State University scientists are at the cutting edge of the study of soil microorganisms - an increasingly important science in the face of deteriorating worldwide soil quality.
Denver Post, 29 November 2011
MN: High crop prices may pose a threat to conservation

Federal contracts on 300,000 acres of Minnesota grassland currently protected under the Conservation Reserve Program will come up for renewal in 2012, and high crop prices may motivate many landowners to put these valuable grasslands under the plow.
Star Tribune, 28 November 2011
World: Another try for global climate effort

With intensifying climate disasters and global economic turmoil as the backdrop, delegates from 194 nations gather in Durban, South Africa to try to advance, if only incrementally, the world's response to dangerous climate change.
New York Times, 27 November 2011
MD: State board approves lower shore land easements

The Board of Public Works recently approved permanent conservation easements on 518 acres of environmentally sensitive land in Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties.
The Dispatch, 25 November 2011
Northwest: Oyster die-offs show ocean acidification has arrived

The acidification of the world's oceans from an excess of CO2 emissions has already begun, as evidenced recently by the widespread mortality of oyster larvae in the Pacific Northwest.
Yale Environment 360, 21 November 2011
World: Wealthy nations 'give up' on new climate treaty

Despite concerns from developing nations, governments of the world's wealthiest nations privately admit that no new global climate agreement will be reached before 2016, and even then it would not take full effect until 2020.
The Guardian, 20 November 2011
IN: Land conservation is encouraged by childhood experiences outdoors

A survey of 64 Indiana conservation easement holders finds that certain experiences in the outdoors as a child, like unstructured play time, lead to pro-nature ideals in adulthood.
Science 2.0, 19 November 2011
US: Obama administration seeks to double avereage gas mileage

The Obama administration has proposed fuel economy standards that would almost double the average gas mileage for each automaker's passenger vehicle fleet to 54.5 mpg by 2025.
Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2011
CA: Marin's critical marshes could face extinction as sea level rises

Marshes that afford flood protection and support an array of wildlife along Marin's bay coast could drown as the sea level rises over the next 50 to 100 years, a new study finds.
Marin Independent Journal, 16 November 2011
VA: Halifax Co. land donated to VA Department of Forestry

A Halifax County couple donated a conservation easement protecting nearly 1,300 acres of woodland--the 50th easement donated to the Virginia Department of Forestry.
WSLS, 14 Novermber 2011
VT: Falling in love with solar

The 26,000 solar panels erected by Green Mountain Power since November 2008 have become an important source of electricity, especially during summer heat waves when demand is high and the sun is out.
Burlington Free Press, 13 November 2011
MT: Blackfoot Valley divided over mine waste repository site

1 million cubic yards of toxic historic mining waste is contaminating the headwaters of the Blackfoot River, the only question is where to move the waste now.
Great Falls Tribune, 12 November 2011
NY: River strip saved from developers

More than 180 acres along the western shore of the Hudson River have been protected from development forever thanks to a conservation easement donated by an unidentified property owner.
Times Union, 10 November 2011
World: Introduced species could be important for survival of bees

New research finds that introduced plant species - often considered to be purely destructive - may play an important role in feeding bees, whose global numbers have plummeted in recent years.
Nature, 09 November 2011.
LA: State rejects oil spill cleanup transition plan

Louisiana has refused to sign off on a Coast Guard-BP plan to transition from cleanup to long-term recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, charging that the plan leaves coastal habitats vulnerable to contamination with no guarantee that BP will pay for future cleanups.
New Orleans Times-Picayune, 09 November 2011
US: United flies first passengers using fuel from algae

United Airlines flew the first U.S. commercial passengers on a Boeing 737 powered partly with biofuel made from algae. The algal-oil fuel currently costs about four times traditional jet fuel, but prices are expected to drop, and it requires no modifications to the aircraft.
USA Today, 08 November 2011
World: Chytrid fungus likely born and spread in amphibian trade

New research finds that the particularly virulent strain of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis responsible for decimating global amphibian populations likely developed and then spread thanks to the global amphibian trade.
New Scientist, 07 November 2011
DE: Toxic site may become solar energy farm

Delaware's most contaminated industrial site is one of 26 Superfund sites across the country to be evaluated for use as solar, wind, biomass, or geothermal renewable energy facilities.
Delaware Online 06 November 2011
CA: Shady Dell deal preserves majestic redwood forest

The Redwoods League purchased 957 acres of coastal redwood habitat, part of a complex deal to protect 50,635 acres of California's rugged coastline.
San Francisco Chronicle, 04 November 2011
MA: Chemicals found in Cape Cod wells

Most of the 20 private Cape wells tested by researchers showed evidence of chemicals from medicines or consumer products, suggesting wastewater contamination of drinking water wells.
Cape Cod Times, 03 November 2011
WV, KY: Mountaintop removal mining linked to community health concerns

New research finds that mountaintop removal, the major form of Appalachian coal mining, can lead to groundwater contamination and air pollution that may have serious health risks.
Environmental Health Perspectives, 01 November 2011
MI: Townships collaborate to re-flood wetlands

Whitehall and Montague townships will team up with the Muskegon Conservation District to improve water quality by re-flooding a former wetland.
White Lake Beacon, 31 October 2011
TX: Catastrophic drought causes global economic ripples

The driest year in the state's history leads to worldwide economic effects, especially in food and agriculture.
New York Times, 30 October 2011
AZ: Obama administration freezes mining near Grand Canyon

1 million acres of federal lands bordering the Grand Canyon receive protection from new uranium mines for 20 years.
Christian Science Monitor, 26 October 2011
AK: Yukon delivers a plug of mercury in response to a changing climate

A recent study finds that the Yukon River basin is carrying three to 32 times more mercury than similarly sized river basins, with thawing permafrost and industrial pollution to blame.
The Daily Climate, 25 October 2011
PA: More protection advised for wells near gas drilling sites

Researchers advise that owners of water wells within 3,000 feet of gas drilling sites should have more legal protection due to the possiblity of contamination.
Pittsburgh Tribune, 25 October 2011
CA: Two fisheries collapsed unnoticed, study says

Researchers say that the populations of the the kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and the barred sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer) have plummeted at least 90 percent in southern California since 1980.
New York Times, 24 October 2011
World: Earth's population could reach 15 billion by 2100

A United Nations report finds that the world population could reach 15 billion by 2100, far surpassing most former estimates.
London Observer, 22 October 2011
US: Farmers nationwide plant bee-friendly habitat

Farmers across the country have begun replacing some of their crops with flowers and shrubs preferred by honeybees in an effort to help restore these important pollinators' devastated populations.
Washington Post, 21 October 2011
NH: Farmland preserved in concord

The Concord City Council recently approved as much as $364,500 to purchase a conservation easement for the 76 acre Maplewood Farm.
Concord Patch, 20 October 2011
NC: The Ridges at Wildflower creates 500 acre conservation easement

Leed Enterprises, LLC, the new developer of The Ridges at Wildflower in Franklin, NC plans to donate 500 undeveloped acres as a conservation easement.
Business Wire via MarketWatch, 18 October 2011
CA: EPA tests show widespread pollution in California waters

Recent tests find more toxic material, bacteria, and pollution in California streams, bays, and lakes than ever before.
San Francisco Chronicle, 16 October 2011
World: 7 billion humans and rising rapidly

The world population is expected to reach 7 billion by October 31, 2011.
Associated Press via StarTribune, 16 October 2011
US: What is the Keystone XL pipeline?

Every aspect of the proposed trans-boundary pipeline project inspires controversy -- find out why.
ProPublica, 14 October 2011
US: Studies link air pollution to obesity and diabetes

New studies link particulate air pollution to obesity and type-II diabetes, raising questions about newly weakened air pollution legislation.
Forbes.com, 10 October 2011
HI: Maui allows use of possibly contaminated wells, passes GMO labeling measure

Maui city council approves the use of wells under scrutiny for contamination from agricultural chemicals. They also pass a product-labeling measure for GMOs.
The Maui News, 8 October 2011
ME: Shellfish harvesters plagued by acidic 'dead muds'

Scientists find that formerly fertile shellfish flats are becoming uninhabitable wastelands, and ocean acidification is to blame.
Bangor Daily News, 7 October 2011
CO: Conservation easements preserve North Fork

The Conservation Assistance Program and other land trusts preserve 8,300 acres (and counting) in the North Fork area of western Colorado.
Delta County Independent, 5 October 2011
US: Draft report on Gulf after oil spill highlights restoration needs

Coastal states must work together to restore the Gulf of Mexico before the ecosystem becomes so weak and polluted that it is no longer habitable for animals or people.
Washington Post, 5 October 2011
DC: Armadillos in DC?

New reports show the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) expanding its range northward thanks to climate change.
Washington Post, 5 October 2011
FL: Mysterious bee kill confounds, costs keepers

Beekeepers in south Brevard County in east central Florida struggle to recover from an unexplained overnight bee kill that decimated their hives.
Florida Today, 30 September 2011
PA: Mounting damage due to coal mining

Reports of property damage mount as longwall mining for coal proliferates in Pennsylvania.
The New York Times, 29 September 2011
IA: Grinnell couple donates conservation easement

Decision to protect a diverse 80-acre Poweshiek County property benefits water quality, native species, and wildlife habitat.
Newton Daily News, 5 July 2011
NJ: Hackensack River too dirty to host oysters

Waterway remains so heavily polluted that oysters planted to help filter out contamination have either died or become deformed.
NorthJersey.com, 2 July 2011
MN: County adds 40 acres in Lake Elmo as open space

Easement near Lake Elmo Park Reserve connects with 180 acres of privately protected land and includes a public trail.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 2 July 2011
US: Sen. Cardin hopes to bridge divide over water

Maryland senator seeks to find he elusive common ground on where federal jurisdiction over water starts and stops.
Greenwire via New York Times, 1 July 2011
OR: Conservation deal protects Long Tom tributary

An easement will permanently conserve riparian and prairie habitats as well as 1.5 miles of the free-flowing Ferguson Creek.
Corvallis Gazette Times, 1 July 201
TX: Drought declared natural disaster

Drought and wildfires have led the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare the entire state of Texas a natural disaster.
Huffington Post, 29 June 2011
TX: Fracking provides another oil boom, but at huge water cost

As West Texas' reservoirs run dry, oil companies are pumping out millions of gallons of freshwater from underground aquifers.
Scripps Howard via Columbus Republic, 29 June 2011
SE: Court hands big victory to Ga. in tri-state water war

A federal appeals court overturned an earlier decision that could have sharply curtailed Atlanta's water supply beginning next summer.
Greenwire via New York Times, 29 June 2011
US: House fast-tracks bill to limit EPA power over mountaintop coal removal

Vote expected next week on bipartisan legislation that would restrict rules covering mountaintop mining, waterways and wetlands.
Solve Climate News, 29 June 2011
MN: Open Inwood Avenue property will stay that way

Washington County Board approves buying a conservation easement on a portion of a 150-year family farm property.
Oakdale Patch, 29 June 2011
PA: How a natural-gas tycoon tapped into Corbett

In 2004, a flamboyant Oklahoma multimillionaire struck the political equivalent of a gushing wildcat well.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 June 2011
NJ: Piles Creek species remain at risk despite environmental protections

A strange ecosystem of creatures that seem cast from a bad toxic apocalypse movie inhabit one dead-end waterway.
New Jersey Star-Ledger, 28 June 2011
FL: Suwannee river drought

The iconic river embodies Florida?s vanishing water.
St. Petersburg Times, 24 June 2011
TX: Behind veneer, doubt on future of natural gas

In scores of internal e-mails and documents, officials within the Energy Information Administration voice skepticism about the shale gas industry.
New York Times, 26 June 2011
VA: A new way of thinking as sea levels rise

Outside of greater New Orleans, Hampton Roads is at the greatest risk from sea-level rise for any area its size.
Washington Post, 26 June 2011
FL: Everglades suffering from sulfate runoff, Methylmercury contamination

The use of sulfate in agricultural areas near the Florida Everglades is creating an insoluble mercury problem.
Florida Independent, 2 May 2011
NC: Where birds fly offers clues to man

Scientists find that the behaviors of frogs, ants and fish also provide hints of a change in climate.
Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2011
PA: Farm preservation effort not hit hard by cuts to budget

Program that allows local governments to buy the development rights to farmland remains mostly unscathed.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1 May 2011
AR: Ivory-billed woodpecker sighted and recorded

Scientists working independently published reported multiple sightings of and evidence for this elusive species.
Science Daily, 29 April 2011
NY: Proposed law could open state land to maple producers

Legislation would tap revenue from the leases to expand agricultural conservation easement programs.
Glens Falls Post-Star, 28 April 2011
SC: Protecting Charleston's Angel Oak

City considers using the last of its greenbelt funding to buy 6.5 acres of land surrounding parkland on Johns Island.
The State, 19 Mar 2011
ME: Conservation is the future of Clark Farm

Collaborators finalize the first phase of a three-step plan to preserve the entire 529 acres of open space.
Windham Independent, 18 Mar 2011
TX: San Antonio takes lead in land conservation

Buying land easements is part of an aggressive and unusual program by San Antonio to protect its main source of water.
New York Times, 18 Mar 2011
CO: BoCo mulls $30M open space purchase

Parks and Open Space Department is proposing that the county pay $30 million to buy 756 acres of largely undeveloped agricultural land.
Longmont Times-Call, 17 Mar 2011
IA: Easement keeps nature's resources intact

Protection of 133 acres along a fast-developing corridor in Plymouth County also links other nearby protected areas.
Sioux City Journal, 16 March 2011
NC: County advisory board recommends funding easements

Easements valued at $500,000 would protect 225 acres on the Pisgah Center Campus.
Asheville Citizen-Times, 14 Mar 2011
CO: Farmland goes dry as suburbs secure water supplies

Scramble for water rights intensifies as aging farmers rapidly pass control to thirsty cities.
Denver Post, 13 Mar 2011
PA: Despite overhaul, gas wastewater still a problem

Natural gas drillers are still flushing vast quantities of contaminated wastewater into rivers that supply the state?s drinking water.
Pottstown Mercury, 12 Mar 2011
NJ: Lawmakers declare state a no-fracking zone

Bill outlawing hydraulic fracturing is meant to send a clear message over growing concerns about natural gas drilling in the region.
NJ Spotlight, 11 Mar 2011
TX: Rich With natural gas, state eyes more oversight

Lawmakers file bills to increase industry oversight on issues ranging from the safety of natural gas pipelines to emissions from wells.
Texas Tribune, 11 Mar 2011
PA: Marcellus Shale wastewater stats flawed

Inconsistencies in DEP numbers do not accurately report the volume of wastewater reused in the natural-gas recycling efforts.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 Mar 2011
PA: Governor gives energy executive supreme authority over environmental permitting

Coal executive with track record of running up against environmental regulations would make critical environmental decisions.
ProPublica, 9 Mar 2011
TX: Water pact helps Galveston Bay

City and conservation coalition agree to landmark deal on treated wastewater release.
Houston Chronicle, 8 Mar 2011
VA: Farmers, EPA clash over Chesapeake Bay regulations

Stricter Chesapeake Bay rules may hurt farmers, who say they?re already doing their part to clean it up.< br /> Christian Science Monitor
PA: EPA steps up scrutiny of pollution in state's rivers

Regulators say water samples show radioactivity levels ?at or below? safe levels in seven of the state?s rivers.
New York Times, 7 Mar 2011
TX: Natural gas fields have provided a fount of cash for cities

The flip side to the anti-drilling argument requires drilling in densely populated areas that sprawl into the disappearing countryside.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7 Mar 2011
OH. Shale lifts prospects in struggling region

Northeastern communities and residents begins to cash in as firms rush to buy drilling rights in the Utica Shale.
Wall Street Journal, 7 Mar 2011
CO - Conservation easement to keep land open near city natural area

99-acre easement will protect wide-open spaces west of Fort Collins? North Overland Trail.
The Coloradoan, 6 Mar 2011
TX: Deep in the heart of the gas drilling controversy

The Lone Star state is several years ahead of Pennsylvania when it comes to deep natural gas drilling.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6 Mar 2011
MA: Perpetual beauty

Conservation tax incentives may spur more owners to protect land.
Boston Globe, 3 Mar 2011
CA: Mendocino redwoods conservation easement stalled by timber company concerns

Timber company concerns over easement acquisitions has delayed the formation of the county?s largest working forest.
Eureka Times-Standard, 3 Mar 2011
PA: Open space money in Monroe County saves a piece of Paradise

Purchase brings county close to connecting several previous open space purchases and the Delaware State Forest as a contiguous unit.
Pocono Record, 3 Mar 2011
AZ: University project could bring clean water to Navajos

University of Arizona is working with partners to develop a water treatment process for remote areas of the Navajo reservation.
Green Valley News, 2 Mar 2011
OR: Easement designated to protect wintering elk

Owners of a ranch near Monument have taken steps to 10,334 acres of vital winter range for regional herd.
Blue Mountain Eagle, 2 Mar 2011
AR: Earthquake activity gaining national attention

Researchers are studying whether more than 800 quakes to strike the Fayetteville Shale area are connected to natural gas drilling.
The Oregonian, 1 Mar 2011
AZ - Gold Dusters

They are the Earth?s pollinators. And they come in more than 200,000 shapes and sizes.
National Geographic Magazine, 1 Mar 2011
WEST: Climate change takes toll on the Lodgepole pine

A new study finds that rising temperatures, drought and destructive insects will shrink the range of the lodgepole pine nearly 10% by 2020. New York Times, 28 Feb 2011
US - Federal program gives families ?nature prescriptions?

More than 100 wildlife refuges are piloting a link between federal agencies and health care providers with the goal of doctors, nurses, teachers, and therapists steering children and parents outdoors.
USA Today, 28 Feb 2011
MT: Bill would dilute water quality, says Missoula health department

City-county department says adopting House Bill 352 would create lowest state water quality standards in the U.S.
The Missoulian, 28 Feb 2011
WY: Hydrofracked? One man's mystery leads to a backlash against natural gas drilling

Louis Meeks' personal fight with hydrofracturing began with something simple: the energy industry's insistence that it couldn't contaminate water.
ProPublica, 25 Feb 2011
GULF: Scientists investigating dolphin deaths in gulf

Cause sought for 48 bottlenose dolphins washed up on the beaches of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida's Panhandle.
St. Petersburg Times, 25 Feb 2011
NY: New York wine and tourism industry prepares to battle hydrofracking

Recent steps by eastern cities to limit or ban drilling is spreading into the rural heart of the Marcellus Shale.
DC Bureau, 24 Feb 2011
MD - Homeowners challenge county-imposed easement

An easement in one Montgomery County neighborhood is raising questions over who knew what and when.
WAMU-FM, 22 Feb 2011
CA - State may pay duck club to conserve land

Officials revise proposed deal with a duck club to better protect wetlands next to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.
Riverside Press Enterprise, 22 Feb 2011
WY - Family protects working ranch along North Fork of Teton River

2nd- and 3rd-generation ranchers use easement to conserve 275 acres.
Teton Valley News, 21 Feb 2011
MD - Man seeks to preserve stone ruin in Owings Mills

Remnant structure could be a barn or part of colonial defense works.
Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb 2011
US - Bill would make conservation tax credit permanent

The Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act of 2011 would make easement tax credits permanent and benefit farmers and ranchers.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 18 Feb 2010
TN - Tax law change seen as incentive to add green space

Last year's federal tax overhaul may be boosting interest in conservation easements.
Knoxville News Sentinel, 16 Feb 2010
US: An urban president hails America's Great Outdoors

President Obama announces release of a new report on parks and open space and commits to full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Time, 16 Feb 2011
VA: County supervisors agree to land conservancy request

Westmoreland supervisors agreed to partner with Northern Neck Land Conservancy to accept conservation easements.
King George Journal, 15 Feb 2011
NE - Committee to hold over conservation easement bill

State senator puts controversial bill outlawing permanent conservation easements in Nebraska on hold until next year.
Lincoln Journal Star, 15 Feb 2011
CO - Council approves Valley Floor trails and river plan

The Telluride Town Council approved a trails and river restoration plan for 570 acres along the San Miguel River.
Telluride News, 13 Feb 2011
CA: Sonoma County OK's $1.7M land conservation deal

Former SF Giant Ryan Klesko and a business partner sell a 2,700-acre easement on their ranch near Cloverdale.
CBS-5, 13 February 2011
GA: Johns Creek neighborhood shelters park from development

920 homeowners align to protect a 27-acre neighborhood park near the Chattahoochee River.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10 Feb 2011
PA: Salt on the roads - good for safety, bad for environment

Researchers discover that over the past 60 years, the Delaware River's annual average sodium concentration has nearly tripled and chloride has increased fivefold.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 Dec 2010
US: Conservation tax incentive extended by Congress

A provision that allows landowners to get substantial benefits for donating easements on their land is one of the federal tax package's lesser-known elements.
Humboldt Times-Standard, 26 Dec 2010
CA: Bruin Ranch conservation boosted with acquisition

Placer County is teaming up with the state to contribute to the Placer Land Trust?s acquisition of 1,773 acres of oak woodlands located outside of Auburn.
Rocklin & Roseville Today, 19 Dec 2010
OH: Dayton MetroParks establishes conservation area

A 416-acre tract featuring scenic woodlands and vistas, a Civil War-era farm house, and remnants of the Miami-Erie Canal will be the basis of a future park.
Dayton Daily News, 18 Dec 2010
WY: Industry cedes 28,000 acres of Wyoming Range for conservation

By scaling back a project to protect critical big-game habitat, a natural gas developer offers a blueprint for future drilling across the West. Greenwire via New York Times, 17 Dec 2010
FL: After 1990s die-offs, birds flock back to Lake Apopka ? and how

The discovery of a booming bird population is a measure of redemption for restoration efforts at Lake Apopka in Lake and Orange Counties.
Orlando Sentinel, 17 Dec 2010
NH: Expert says climate change is harming sugar maples

Drop in sugar levels and dimming of fall color may mark the beginning of the loss the state's signature species.
Nashua Telegraph, 6 November 2010
AK: Shell presses for drilling in Arctic Alaska

Royal Dutch Shell is beginning a public lobbying campaign to drill in Alaska?s Beaufort and Chukchi seas.
New York Times, 5 November 2010
GULF: Scientists find damage to coral near BP well

First strong indication appears that the BP spill's damage to deep-sea coral and marine life could be significantly greater than previously acknowledged.
Associated Press via Yahoo!, 5 November 2010
WV: State buys conservation easement to preserve land

Purchase will protect nearly four square miles of mountainside habitat near the Potomac River from development.
Associated Press via Businessweek, 5 November 2010
WV: Court gives OK to gas drilling in Chief Logan State Park

The state Supreme Court has upheld a decision to allow oil and natural gas drilling, saying that a ban on mineral extraction in parks does not apply.
Charleston Gazette-Mail, 3 November 2010
NJ: Orthodox congregation vows to preserve historic Teaneck tree

Auction purchase by Netivot Shalom saves centuries-old red oak from the ax.
North Jersey Record, 1 November 2010
AR: Buck Island upkeep easement signed

NRCS?s Flood Plain Easement Program makes conservation of 880 acres of timber on a 1,500-acre island in the Mississippi River possible.
Helena Daily World, 1 November 2010
FL: Tiger Lake Ranch wins permanent protection

State approves preservation of 1,763 acres of eastern Polk County ranchland.
Lakeland Ledger, 30 October 2010
ID: Easement to help protect Henry?s Lake migration lane

711 acres protected at the crossroads of two major wildlife migration corridors for pronghorn, grizzly and black bears, mountain lions, wolves, and wolverines.
Rexburg Standard Journal, 28 October 2010
CA: Oakley considers program to preserve agricultural land

City leaders have agreed to explore setting up a program to preserve vineyard farmland.
Contra Costa Times, 29 October 2010
MN. Prime 45 acres in East Bethel to be forever preserved

Forest and grassland on the south side of Deer Lake that boom-time developers coveted has be protected with an easement.
Anoka County Union, 27 October 2010
SC: Conservation easement saves a pristine lake, tall pines

Deer, fox, hawks, and cranes receive permanent sancturary on a 50-acre fishing-cabin-turned-family-home.
The State, 27 Oct 2010
NE: Unique landscapes preserved

Separated by 230 miles and a state boundary, a Nebraska cattle ranch and a farm in western Iowa's Loess Hills have something in common.
Omaha World-Record, 26 October 2010
SC: Keeping Edisto natural, open

Land trust director has helped preserve half of the 48,000-acre barrier island and "jewel of the ACE Basin."
Charleston Post and Courier, 25 October 2010
VA: Northamptom County seeks applicants in PDR program

Land conservation program can help residents protect open space and the county?s rural agricultural setting.
Daily Times, 25 October 2010
LA: Massive stretches of weathered oil spotted in Gulf of Mexico

Fishers find miles-long strings of weathered oil floating toward fragile marshes on the Mississippi River delta.
New Orleans Times-Picayune, 23 October 2010
WY: Mule deer declines in gas field warrant "serious" mitigation response

Dramatic decline in herd numbers on the Pinedale Anticline is fueling concerns that intensified energy development has reduced its crucial winter habitat.
Greenwire via New York Times, 22 October 2010
GA: Liberty County land preserved

Agreement with Plum Creek protects 750 acres of high ground that could have been developed along with more than 5,000 acres of salt marsh.
Savannah Morning News, 19 October 2010
MN: Refuge from city to be preserved in East Bethel

45-acre easement serves to extend habitat of adjacent wildlife refuges.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 19 October 2010
MT: Popular Waterworks Hill trail to be rerouted around sensitive plants

Native plants are being dug up and saved to replant in over-hiked parts of the conservation easement trail.
The Missoulian, 18 October 2010
PA: Parks, forests eyed for the fuel beneath

Protected areas may not be safe from natural gas development.
National Geographic Daily News, 17 October 2010
CO: New conservation easements on 10,000 acres in Colorado

Three big new conservation easements will help ensure perpetual access to favored hunting and fishing spots.
Summit County Voice, 17 October 2010
KY: New 387-acre Shelby County park to be dedicated

A conservation easement on a 387-acre farm has secured its place as a community nature preserve and equestrian park.
Louisville Courier-Journal, 15 October 2010
ME: Conservation easement protects 4,632-acre parcel in three towns

An anonymous New Hampshire land donor's wishes have been realized through an easement that protects 4,632 acres as working forest.
Lewiston Sun Journal, 14 October 2010
NY: Wolf center vs. land trust in court battle over wolf habitat

Two preservation groups that often support each other's endeavors faced off in court over plans to create a fenced-in wolf habitat on a Lewisboro preserve.
Lower Hudson Journal News, 13 October 2010
VT: Vermont Land Trust conserves Jericho farm

An easement on the 236-year-old Barber Farm will protect 148 acres of prime agricultural land from development.
Burlington Free-Press, 13 October 2010
DE: Geolocators show red knots' flights extraordinary

A tiny tracking device on the small shorebird's leg gave scientists their first intimate view of a yearlong journey that had their jaws dropping.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 October 2010
WEST: The Colorado River Runs Dry

Dams, irrigation, and now climate change have drastically reduced the once-mighty river. Is it a sign of things to come?
Smithsonian, October 2010
OR: Deal preserves forest forever

The Bonneville Power Administration has agreed to purchase a 1310-acre easement of mostly Douglas fir forest in the Red Hills of Dundee.
Yamhill Valley News Register, 4 October 2010
TN: Governor asks feds to protect stretch of Cumberland ridges from mining

If the petition from Gov. Phil Bredesen is granted, a long section of craggy Cumberland Mountain ridges would be off-limits to coal mining.
The Tennessean, 1 October 2010
VT: Residents may help restore Allen Brook

Town planners hope residents with land directly abutting a polluted brook will allow for further restorative efforts and actions.
Williston Observer, 30 September 2010
WY: Landowners donate easements as estate planning tool

Two landowners have conserved 630 acres and protected vital ranching places and iconic viewsheds.
Wyoming Business Report, 29 September 2010
NC - Appalachian receives 369 acres for educational use; land will expand the sustainable development program

An Ashe County couple's love of the land will provide research, teaching and educational outreach to the region for generations.
Appalachian State University News, 24 September 2010
CA: Mining plan near Sequoia park divides region

Environmental and cultural interests battle economic needs in Fresno County dispute.
Los Angeles Times, 26 September 2010
MD: Butterflies protected at Kitzmiller sanctuary

An easement on 15-acre Woodhill Sanctuary will conserve habitat for rare butterflies species including the Baltimore checkerspot, the official state insect.
Cumberland Times-News, 20 September 2010
WI: Public access sought for Spring Lake easement

Ensuring public lake access is key to a proposal to use state and federal funds to protect a large farm in Sheboygan County from development.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 20 September 2010
DE: Poplar Grove donates conservation easement to protect property's future

The owner of a historic 15-acre farmstead in Pender County has donated a conservation agreement for the land to non-profit organization.
Greater Wilmington Business Journal, 17 September 2010
OR: Power authority easement will help Trappist Abbey conserve forest habitat

The Bonneville Power Authority plans to buy an easement on 1,310 acres of forest and farmland from Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey.
The Oregonian, 22 September 2010

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