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Brenda Barrett, Editor | Eleanor Mahoney, Associate Editor | Deanna Beacham, Outreach Assistant
July 2020 | Vol. 10, No. 6
Challenges Facing Public Lands in the United States
Landscapes have always been contested places. Public lands, especially, are among the most visible battlegrounds. Current events have only raised the stakes for those seeking to determine the future of these places. The Pandemic has pushed people into parks and onto trails, overloading resources that already experience heavy use. The current administration is conducting a fire sale of oil and gas leases on public lands. And then, there is the dismantling of our national monuments. This includes not only well known sites, like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante, but also our marine national monuments and national marine sanctuaries. To top it all off, there are drastic changes underway to the National Environmental Policy Act that will provide less protection for public lands and limit the opportunity for public involvement in development decisions. The big question is where will we go from here? Check out this issue for ideas and please share your own as well.
About Us
The Living Landscape Observer is a website, blog and monthly e-newsletter that offers commentary and information on the emerging field of large landscape conservation.
Public Lands - Where to Now?
While the big excitement is passage of the America's Great Outdoors Act, there is a lot more happening on and to public lands and most of it is not good news. Negative impacts include the shrinking of national monuments, numerous proposals for energy extraction, and elimination of regulatory protections.These actions leave cultural and natural resources vulnerable to destruction. But what about the future, where should we be heading?
Roundtable on Public Lands in Utah and the American West
Eight historians and archaeologists recently came together to discuss the past, present, and future of public lands management in Utah and the American West. Watch the webinar below and learn more about forum participants and topics here.
NatureCultures Dialogue: Connecting Practice
This NatureCultures dialogue explores a joint project of ICOMOS and IUCN - ''Connecting Practice." This initiative is aimed at developing new conservation strategies for first recognizing and then sustaining the interconnected character of the natural, cultural, and social values of World Heritage sites.
Mustangs at a Watering Hole
Photo courtesy of BLM
Wild Horses on Public Lands
The USA and Australia share a common problem with wild horses causing environmental damage to conservation areas in large landscapes - both on public lands reserved as national parks and on rangelands. Though often seen as iconic symbols, mustangs and brumbies, the name for their counterparts in Australia, are a daunting problem for land managers.

News and Notes

Defending Our Environment The National Trust for Historic Preservation and a coalition of partners filed a lawsuit challenging new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations issued earlier in June. The new regulations severely weaken one of the nation’s strongest environmental laws.

Another National Heritage Area is proposed for the west. The Big Sky National Heritage Area in Montana has moved one step closer to reality with advocates releasing a study identifying unique cultural and historic features in Cascade and Chouteau counties.
Upcoming Events

National Trust for Historic Preservation
Migrating to online format

The following conferences have been rescheduled! Visit the event web sits for the latest information.

January 7-15, 2021, in Marseille, France 

October 2023, in Sydney, Australia


NATURE, CULTURE,COMMUNITY www.livinglandscapeobserver.net