“The Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed a new permit system that could effectively streamline the killing of voracious double-crested cormorants. A federal judge vacated the orders in 2016 after concluding FWS did not sufficiently consider the effects of the depredation orders on cormorant populations and other resources and failed to consider a reasonable range...

“Scenic overflights at national parks, though pricey, prove popular with tourists. But they have gone largely unregulated despite a 20-year-old law requiring the National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to craft management plans for each of the parks that host commercial scenic overflights, according to a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling. The ruling...

“A telecommunications business rebuffed the National Park Service last winter after park officials asked for a smaller, pilot version of the company’s plan to add hundreds of antennas transmitting Wi-Fi signals throughout developed areas in Yellowstone National Park. Ruch, of PEER, still has questions about why the park is deferring to AccessParks and prioritizing the...

“Advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said on Monday the National Park Service is reopening national parks without instituting proper social distancing measures. “If state and local governments, and even Disney World, can enforce social distancing and mask requirements in parks, on beaches, and in other public places, it is not clear why the...

“Yet another Zoom meeting beckoned, pulling University of Colorado scientist Detlev Helmig from his data. On Monday, April 7, 2020 he clicked into a meeting organized by Merritt Turetsky, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) where Helmig worked. She asked if Helmig had received an email. He hadn’t. He refreshed his...

“As Green Matters explains, national parks closed their doors during the coronavirus pandemic. They had originally been ordered to waive entry fees, to “[make] it a little easier for the American public to enjoy the outdoors in our incredible National Parks,” but park-goers struggled to maintain social distancing and hygiene guidelines. “We don’t want the...

“It’s long been known that human waste can carry a lot of nasty pathogens that survive passage through the bowels — from bacteria like cholera and fecal coliform to assorted viruses like hepatitis and, over the last few months, the novel coronavirus. Already in cities like Paris, researchers have been able to trace the outbreak...

“Fifty-seven percent of EPA staff said they were dissatisfied with the agency’s release of scientific information to the public, according to an agency watchdog report posted today. Tim Whitehouse, a former EPA enforcement attorney, called the results “awful” and said they pointed to “a significant erosion in trust by EPA staff about their leaders’ commitment...

“Pendley has helped turn BLM into what one high-level employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, called “a ghost ship” in which “suspicion”, “fear” and “low morale” abound, despite the best efforts of career civil servants to support each other. Environmental and government watchdog groups are now responding with a lawsuit that...

“Public employees and environmental groups recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s appointments for two of the nation’s largest public lands management agencies. In addition to the legal and constitutional complaints, advocates also worry about agency mishandling of parks and public lands as the rural outdoor recreation and tourism economy swings into high season...