Issues: Wildlands

Filter by: Show All General Interest Policy/Legislation

All Documents in Wildlands

How to Build a Better Home
A new approach to homebuilding saves trees and energy -- and makes for economical, comfortable homes.
Overview

A new approach to homebuilding saves trees and energy -- and makes for economical, comfortable homes.

The Evolution of International Environmental Governance
Overview

Since the 1970s, the international community has created a number of successful institutions and treaties to protect the global environment; but more work remains to turn commitments into action.

NRDC's Washington, DC Eco-Office
Photo Album

NRDC's Washington home shows that offices can be economic, aesthetically-pleasing, and environmentally friendly. Take a tour of our DC office, and find out about the many "green" features that make it a model of environmentally-sound design.

Appalachian Heartbreak: Time to End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Issue Paper

Coal is America's dirtiest energy source -- and the country's leading source of global warming pollution. Pollution from coal plants produces dirty air, acid rain, and contaminated land and water. Nowhere is the debate over how far we are willing to go for inexpensive energy more contentious than in the coalfields of Appalachia. It is there -- between the hollows of West Virginia, beyond the bluegrass of Kentucky, bordering the Blue Ridge of Virginia, and above the smoky vistas of Tennessee -- where mining companies are blowing up America's oldest mountains to get the coal beneath the peaks. Mountaintop removal mining, or MTR, is scarring the landscape and threatening communities throughout Appalachia.

Protecting New Yorkers’ Health and the Environment by Regulating Drilling in the Marcellus Shale
Fact Sheet

With rising energy costs and fears of more volatility in the future, the natural gas industry is now searching for additional fuel sources. One such source is the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale, an ancient rock formation that spans 600 miles and four states, including New York. While there may be benefits to drilling this large natural gas reserve, doing so without the proper monitoring and regulation by state and local officials will present a number of serious threats to human health and the environment in New York State. NRDC is therefore working with leaders across the state to ensure that if drilling in the Marcellus Shale occurs in New York, it will be done responsibly and only in appropriate areas. This fact sheet includes recommendations for action you can take to help ensure that gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale does not proceed in New York without full protections for New Yorkers’ health and the environment.
Get document in pdf.

National Parks in Peril
The Threats of Climate Change
Overview

America's national parks are some of the most spectacular and treasured places in the country. But these wild landscapes are confronting the greatest threat in their history – global warming. Rising temperatures are wreaking havoc in some of the nation's most pristine areas, and will continue to do so if we don't act quickly.

A Shopper's Guide to Home Tissue Products
Shop smart. Save forests.
Guide

Help save forests by choosing environmentally preferable alternatives.

Don't Drill Away the West
Vast stretches of the Western United States are threatened by oil and gas development
Overview

The American West is known for its stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife, rich history and outdoor recreation. But from Montana down to New Mexico, many of these cherished areas are at risk from oil and gas development.

Clean Energy and Conservation
Renewable energy sources don’t have to conflict with preserving wildlife and wildlands in the Western U.S.
Overview

Renewable energy sources don't have to conflict with preserving wildlife and wildlands in the Western United States.

Crisis for Yellowstone's Buffalo
America’s last wild, free-roaming herd is threatened by “hazing” from ATVs and helicopters
Overview

Every spring, the bison of Yellowstone National Park get "hazed" back into park territory by rangers swooping down in helicopters, on horseback and riding ATVs. Hazing is disruptive and devastating to the buffalo, and many bison, including newborns, are needlessly killed in the process.

Protecting the Last Wild Forests
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule preserves America's unspoiled wilderness, but it's under assault
Overview

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was enacted to preserve pristine wilderness and the wildlife that lives there for all generations. But it's been under attack by oil and logging companies and their supporters in the Bush administration since its passage in 2001. Large portions of American wilderness, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest, remained threatened today, even after George W. Bush has left office.

San Onofre State Beach Wins Protections Against Road Development
A proposed toll road that would cut through the heart of a popular California park has been rejected.
News

A proposed toll road that would cut through the heart of a popular California park has been put on hold.

Danger in the Nursery
Impact of Tar Sands Oil Development in Canada’s Boreal on Birds
Report

Each spring more than half of America's birds flock to the Canadian Boreal forest to nest. There, tens of millions of birds -- as many as 500 breeding pairs per square mile of forests, lakes, river valleys, and wetlands -- spend the winter. Yet almost all the biggest oil companies are mining and drilling important Boreal forest and wetlands to access thick, low-grade petroleum. As much as an area the size of Florida is endangered. This December 2008 report from NRDC, The Pembina Institute and the Boreal Songbird Initiative describes how Canada and the United States must protect migratory birds and bird habitat from this new form of high-impact energy development.

Exhibits: U.S. Forest Service Efforts to Avoid Environmental Review
Testimony

The following exhibits pertain to testimony presented by Nathaniel Lawrence, NRDC senior attorney, on June 28, 2007, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests & Public Lands of the Committee on Natural Resources.

Arctic Wildlife Refuge: Why Trash an American Treasure for a Tiny Percentage of Our Oil Needs?
News

Drilling for oil in America's premier wildlife sanctuary would deface the pristine landscape and threaten Alaskan wildlife.

The Tejon Ranch model
Opinion

On environmental issues, the middle road doesn't suit everybody. But it can preserve a lot of wilderness for posterity.

Know the Forest and the Trees: A Consumer's Guide to Buying Wood
Overview

Whether you are building a deck or just buying a nightstand, your purchase can have an impact on forests and people thousands of miles away. Your money could support a sustainable community initiative on the rainforest's edge--or it could contribute to continued impoverishment of families in Latin America or deforestation in Southeast Asia.

Testimony of Nathaniel Lawrence on S. 2593, the Forest Landscape Restoration Act
Testimony

Submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate, April 1, 2008.

Hotter and Drier
The West's Changed Climate
Report

Human activities are already changing the climate of the American West. This report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), drawn from 50 scientific studies, 125 other government and scientific sources, and our own new analyses, documents that the West is being affected more by a changed climate than any other part of the United States outside of Alaska. When compared to the 20th century average, the West has experienced an increase in average temperature during the last five years that is 70 percent greater than the world as a whole. Responding quickly at all levels of government by embracing the solutions that are available is critical to minimizing further disruption of this region’s climate and economy.

Stop the Slaughter
Yellowstone’s Buffalo Herd Must Be Protected
Fact Sheet

The Montana Department of Livestock and the National Park Service are killing the thousands of buffalo that roam in Yellowstone National Park, claiming with little evidence that the buffalo could transmit disease to cattle in the area. NRDC is fighting to protect Yellowstone buffalo from senseless killing and to safeguard the park’s wildlife resources for future generations. Get document in pdf.

Stop Electrocuting Patagonia
NRDC's campaign to protect Chile's wild places
Index

Chile's Patagonia, one of the most pristine places left on the planet, is being threatened by plans for a massive hydro-electric scheme that calls for dams to be built on the region's largest rivers and for construction of the world's longest power transmission line. NRDC is working with local, national, and international partners to bring smarter solutions and viable alternatives to discussions on the future of this treasured region.

Drilling Down
Protecting Western Communities from the Health and Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Production
Report

Oil and gas production releases pollution that can have serious impacts on people's health and the surrounding air, water, and land. Although these operations are frequently located near homes, schools, and other community resources, the oil and gas industry enjoys numerous exemptions from provisions of federal laws intended to protect human health and the environment. This October 2007 report provides a comprehensive assessment of these loopholes, which allow oil and gas companies to continue polluting despite the risks, and describes the available, often economical solutions for using technology to reduce environmental contamination. The report also includes personal stories from people living in communities affected by oil and gas drilling.

The Drill in the Backyard
Photo Album

Domestic oil and natural gas production has soared in recent years as our demand for energy continues to rise. Much of this growth is occurring in the Rocky Mountain region, where well pads, waste pits and giant compressors mar the legendary western landscape of wide vistas and soaring peaks.

Safe at Home
Issue Paper

Every summer, images of wildfires dominate TV screens and newspaper headlines. Yet despite the effort -- and the money -- that goes into emergency response, fires destroy hundreds of homes and whole neighborhoods in the American West during wildfire season. This 2007 issue paper outlines NRDC's pilot study of fire protection in the Love Creek community in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and describes how Western communities and homeowners can protect themselves against fire threats with proven techniques known as "firewise" measures. In addition, we recommend changes to federal fire policy to prioritize community and resident safety.

U.S. Forest Service Efforts to Avoid Environmental Review
Testimony

Testimony presented by Nathaniel Lawrence, NRDC senior attorney, on June 28, 2007, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests & Public Lands of the Committee on Natural Resources.

Safeguarding Alaska's Arctic Wilderness
Index

Oil and gas drilling, coal mining and invasive development are combining with global warming's effects to wreak havoc on Alaska's vast, remote Arctic landscape. NRDC is working with Alaskan Native communities to protect this wilderness area and the whales, bears and other diverse wildlife that depend on it.

The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
Protecting America’s Arctic
Fact Sheet

Aggressive government interest in leasing areas to the oil and gas industries in the zone referred to as the “Arctic Ring of Life”—home to millions of migratory birds, polar bears, beluga whales, endangered bowhead whales, and thousands-year-old Inupiat (Eskimo) culture—threatens the sustainability of this ecosystem and the livelihood of Alaska Native communities. Get document in pdf.

Morro Bay-Cayucos Sewage Treatment Plant and Sea Otter Habitat
Fact Sheet

The threatened California sea otter numbers just 2,700 statewide. The Morro Bay/Cayucos sewage plant in California has dumped pollutants into the ocean for more than two decades -- directly into bay waters that are a hotspot for sea otter deaths. Although the construction time for the Morro Bay sewage plant upgrade to meet basic federal standards is less than two and a half years, plant officials do not intend to complete the project until March 2014. The plant's own documents show that a faster, more efficient upgrade is not only possible, but would be less expensive as well.

San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act
Legislative Analysis

Last year, a historic settlement was reached to restore flows and salmon populations to California's second longest river, the San Joaquin, and approved by the federal court.

Reforming the Paper Industry
Guide

The pulp and paper industry is one of the most environmentally damaging industries in the world. Find out how you, through individual purchases or through your business, can help transform this bad actor into a more sustainable industry.

The Paper Business, Present and Future
Index

This index of information on paper and forestry shows where there's room for improvement, and why there's hope ahead.

Crown Jewels at Risk
Guide

Without quick action to halt global warming, our favorite national parks could lose some of their splendor.

Losing Ground: Western National Parks Endangered by Climate Disruption
Report

National parks in the American West face an unprecedented threat from climate change. Rising temperatures, prolonged drought, severe wildfires and diminished snowfall are already affecting these parks; without action to curb climate change, cherished Western landscapes could be drastically altered.

If You Don’t Buy African Ivory, Why Would You Buy Amazon Mahogany?
Fact Sheet

High consumer demand for mahogany has boosted prices and the illegal trade of these majestic trees from Peru to the United States, bringing disastrous impacts for indigenous peoples who rely on the forests, endangered species losing their habitat, and the long-term viability of commercial mahogany. Get document in pdf.

Strip Mining for Oil in Endangered Forests
Fact Sheet

Big oil interests are scraping away hundreds of thousands of acres in North America’s Boreal forest to produce tar sands oil, and in the process consuming large amounts of natural gas and generating three times as much global warming pollution as conventional crude oil production. Greater efficiency and renewable fuels are far better, cleaner ways to meet our energy needs. Get document in pdf.

Great Bear Rainforest
Photo Album

On Canada's Pacific coast lies one of the Earth's largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest: the 8-million-acre Great Bear Rainforest. Once threatened with intense and destructive logging, the Great Bear's future now seems brighter after the announcement of a historic conservation agreement and the resulting protection of 5 million acres of the rainforest. These photos illustrate the amazing diversity of the Great Bear's ecosystem and the wildlife that call it home -- and testify to environmental activists' power to shape history.

Paper Industry Laying Waste to North American Forests
News

Top U.S. manufacturers are harvesting old-growth trees, destroying key habitat to make tissue paper.

In the Canadian Boreal Forest, a Conservation Ethic at Work
Interview

After fighting successfully for years to keep destructive logging, hydropower and mining projects out of their traditional territory, the people of Poplar River are now working to secure permanent protection for their boreal forest homeland.

Democracy in Action: The Energy Permitting Process Under NEPA
Testimony

Testimony of NRDC senior attorney Sharon Buccino at hearing on permitting of energy projects, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, May 25, 2005.

Arctic Refuge 101: Fact Sheets
Overview

Get informed about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's extraordinary wilderness and wildlife, the damage oil development has caused in neighboring areas of Alaska's North Slope, and better ways we can meet our energy needs.

Good Wood: How Forest Certification Helps the Environment
FAQ

Forest certification is a seal of approval for wood and paper products, allowing consumers to use their buying power for good.

The Boreal Forest: Earth's Green Crown
Photo Album

Canada's vast boreal forest is among the largest intact forest ecosystems left on earth, and must be preserved. This feature tells its story in words and pictures.

The Canadian Boreal Forest
Overview

A quick primer on Canada's boreal forest -- the natural and cultural qualities it possesses, the problems it faces, and the solutions that could save it for future generations.

An Interview with Chief John Miswagon of the Pimicikamak Cree
Interview

As leader of the Pimicikamak executive council since 1999, Chief John Miswagon has directed an international environmental and human rights campaign to protect his people and traditional territory from a devastating hydroelectric project dating from the 1970s, which is now threatening to expand its operations.

Hydro is Breaking Our Hearts
Opinion

An opinion about hydropower development in Canada's Boreal Forest, from NRDC senior attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. First published in the Winnipeg Free Press, July 15, 2004.

Global Warming Puts the Arctic on Thin Ice
FAQ

Answers to questions including: What kinds of changes are taking place in the Arctic now? Will Arctic ice melt have any effects beyond the polar region? Can we do anything to stop global warming?

Wildfires in Western Forests
Issue Paper

This May 2003 NRDC policy paper summarizes the best available science and analysis on Western wildfires and woodland community protection.

America's Gas Tank: The High Cost of Canada's Oil and Gas Export Strategy
Report

Canada, not Saudi Arabia, is the single largest supplier of oil and gas to the United States. This October 2002 report from NRDC and the Sierra Club of Canada shows that U.S. demand for fossil fuels is destroying Canadian air, land and water resources, and recommends that Canada aggressively adopt renewable energy sources, protect wilderness areas from fossil fuel exploitation, and pass tougher laws to limit pollution from the oil and gas industry.

Wildlife Species and Their Habitat: The Adverse Impacts of Logging
Report

This supplement to NRDC's End of the Road report provides additional detail on the specific effects of logging on North American wildlife, as studied and recorded in independently peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Gridlock on the National Forests
Testimony

Testimony of Nathaniel Lawrence, NRDC senior attorney, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health (Committee on Resources).

The National Fire Plan
Testimony

Testimony of Nathaniel Lawrence, NRDC senior attorney, before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Policy Reports and Analyses
Fact Sheet

In-depth information on the controversy over opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, from NRDC's lawyers, scientists and analysts.

Developments and Dollars: An Introduction to Fiscal Impact Analysis in Land Use Planning
Report

This guide provides citizens, planners, local officials and others concerned with sprawling development and growth issues with tools they need to examine the likely impacts of development proposals on local taxes and municipal budgets. It also offers advice on accounting practices sometimes used to make development appear more attractive to local governments than it really is.

National Parks off the Beaten Path
Guide

Want to go to the Grand Canyon or Cape Cod, but can't stand the thought of the crowds or the traffic? NRDC parks experts offer advice on lesser-known spots where you can find everything you're looking for in a vacation, except the celebrated names.

What is a Biosphere Reserve?
Overview

These nature preserves balance biological and cultural diversity with economic development. There are 368 biosphere reserves worldwide. The 47 in the U.S. include Yellowstone and Everglades national parks and the Mojave Desert.

What Is Clearcutting?
Overview

Intact, healthy forests play a large role in supporting all forms of life on earth. Clearcutting means the felling and removal of all trees from a given tract of forest. Clearcutting destroys an area's ecological integrity in a number of ways.

End of the Road: The Adverse Ecological Impacts of Roads and Logging
A Compilation of Independently Reviewed Research
Report

An annotated bibliography providing an overview of primary research, almost all from peer-reviewed journals, documenting the adverse impacts of roads and logging on North American forest ecosystems.

U.S. Public Lands
Photo Album

The more than 726 million acres of U.S. public lands include familiar places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. They also encompass equally spectacular but lesser-known treasures -- including those pictured here -- ranging from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to California's Redwood National Park.

America's National Parks
Photo Album

Established in 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone, our national park system today covers more than 83 million acres of parks, lakeshores, seashores, scenic rivers and trails, and recreation areas. Pictured here is a sampling of our national parks.

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.