On December 12, 2024, the US Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the 2-year withdrawal of 165,000 acres in the Pecos watershed, a biodiverse landscape in New Mexico that was the target for exploratory mining. Support for this effort came from a wide range of groups, including local landowners, local Hispanic communities engaged in…
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first Tribally nominated national marine sanctuary in the U.S. was officially designated on November 30, 2024. After over 40 years of advocacy, the area was originally nominated for designation in 2015 by the late Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chief Fred Collins. This effort has now successfully protected 4,543…
In November, 2024, Pomeroy Dam, located on the Illinois River, was successfully demolished. The Pomeroy Dam was rated as one of the highest on the 2019 Statewide Fish Passage Barrier Priority List, which “identifies the most critical man made barriers to fish passage in the state”. The removal of the 270-foot wide concrete structure will…
In late August 2024, Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) and numerous local and national partners helped celebrate the successful removal of the Blake Higgins Dam from the Saxtons River, a tributary of the Connecticut River in Vermont. This 90 foot long and seven foot high structure was listed as a high priority for removal by the…
In late August 2024, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission officially designated 385 miles across 15 rivers and streams in the Upper and Lower Colorado, Eagle, Yampa, and Roaring Fork River basins as Outstanding Waters. The Outstanding Waters designation, authorized by the Colorado Water Quality Control Act and the Clean Water Act, protects high-quality waterways…
In Alaska, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees some of the largest intact landscapes left in the country. From the temperate rainforests of Southeast Alaska to north of Nome, these areas hold cultural and spiritual significance as well as essential subsistence for Alaska Indigenous communities, connect tens of millions of acres of important habitat,…
After decades of advocacy from Klamath River Indigenous peoples, community members, conservationists, and fishermen, the final three dams – Iron Gate Dam, Copco Dam 1, and JC Boyle Dam – have been removed from the Klamath River. The fourth dam, Copco Dam 2 was removed in 2023. The effort to free the Klamath River, which…
On August 10, 2024, community members, public officials, recreationists, business members, and others came together to celebrate the opening of a new public park in East Missoula, MT. Located near the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers, this 480-acre parcel is frequented by an increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts and provides access to…
In September 2024, the Nevada Irrigation District voted to withdraw its $1 billion Centennial Dam proposal after years of sustained opposition led by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). The project would have inundated six miles of the Bear River, flooding homes, Tribal cultural sites, recreation areas, and critical wildlife habitat. Since 2017, SYRCL…
In December 2024, the Bureau of Land Management issued the Record of Decision and approved the Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs Field Office. This plan was the culmination of over a decade of work and incorporated feedback from a wide array of stakeholders across Wyoming and beyond. It also designates almost one million…
