Almost half of the United States is owned by the people and managed on their behalf by government agencies. The Center uses science and law to preserve the wild animals, plants, and character of these lands across the West.

ABOUT OUR PUBLIC LANDS WORK

As global warming threatens to drive one-third of all existing species extinct over the coming century, the Center believes the most vital role of public lands is to serve as a refuge for biodiversity in decline. To that end we watchdog activities that do the most direct harm to species and their habitat on lands held in trust for the common good: off-road vehicle use, cattle grazing, timber cutting, and mining and drilling for metals and fossil fuels. We work to ensure these activities are managed as rationally as possible, with minimal damage to endangered wildlife.

HOW WE DO IT

• Scientific research
• Litigation
• Analyzing and commenting on agency decisions
• Administrative appeals
• Grassroots organizing
• Creative media

MILESTONES

Our Public Lands Program:

• Protected 24 desert species on 11 million acres in the California Desert Conservation Area under a sweeping legal settlement with the Bureau of Land Management in 2001, helping protect the Peninsular bighorn sheep, prohibiting mining on 3.4 million acres and off-road vehicles on 550,000 acres, and reducing or prohibiting livestock on 2 million acres.

• Secured injunctions against logging in Arizona and New Mexico, halting all logging on national forests in both states for 16 months in 1995 and 1996.

• Won designation of 4.6 million acres of forest as critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, and a subsequent court victory designating more critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl — for a final total of 8.6 million acres.

• Brought about cancellation of many major timber sales, including the Clear Creek sale in Coconino National Forest and the South Manti salvage sale on the Manti-La Sal National Forest, saving a total of 22 million board feet.

• Achieved retirement of a number of grazing allotments in southwestern national forests and removal of cattle by the U.S. Forest Service from 330 miles of rivers in the Gila River basin.

• Won significant wildlife protections, and drove water-management reform, on Arizona and Mexico’s stunning San Pedro River, the last completely free-flowing river in the Southwest and a biodiversity hotspot that hosts 400 bird species.