by Kurt Soller
Published December 2007
Though protected from development, these ten parks are in harm’s way
Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico
This walled village on the banks of the Animas River was built by the Anasazi six to nine centuries ago. Threat: A coal bed methane well stands at the entrance to the park. Nearby land has been leased for future development.Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
A major trade and ceremonial center between a.d. 850 and 1250, this sprawling complex of Anasazi ruins is one of the country’s premier archaeological sites. Threat: Smog from power plants pollutes the air. Recently proposed natural gas pads would mar the views from the visitors center.
Too Close For Comfort : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
Is the West Losing Its Wild? : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
by Jim Robbins
Published December 2007
The search for fossil fuels across the American west is turning some of the nation’s last open spaces into industrial zones and putting protected areas and wildlife risk. Jim Robbins reports on how the U.S. government is allowing energy companies to carve up treasured landscapes—one well at a time
Beyond the country’s national parks is a second tier of wild landscapes that are neither as well known nor as dramatic but are nonetheless beautiful and were also set aside for the enjoyment of the American people. One of them is Largo Canyon, a broad red-and-dun sandstone cleft in the desert outside Farmington, New Mexico.
Is the West Losing Its Wild? : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
This Land is Your Land : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com
by Alex C. Pasquariello
Published December 2007
Untangling the federal agencies managing the nation’s open spaces
When it was established within the Department of the Interior in 1946, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) inherited the nation’s leftover lands—175 million acres of the American West that hadn’t been given to states, privatized, or deemed scenic enough to protect. The agency’s mandate to sustain the health and productivity of its land has historically translated to an emphasis on grazing, mining, and drilling. The Clinton administration strengthened the BLM’s conservation ethic, protecting more than 42 million of its acres. The Bush administration took the opposite tack, loosening environmental regulations and shifting the agency’s resources to focus on oil and gas production. Today, the BLM manages 260 million of the nation’s 630 million–plus public acres, and is one of the government’s top revenue generators. Here’s who’s managing the other 370 million acres of your land:
Fish & Wildlife Service
Mandate: To conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats; chief administrator of the Endangered Species Act. Acres Managed: 93 million of the National Wildlife Refuge System. All land is protected from development.National Park Service
Mandate: To "preserve unimpaired" the natural and cultural resources of its parks. Acres Managed: 83 million in 369 sites, from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. All land is protected from development.Forest Service
Mandate: To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of its forests. Acres Managed: 193 million in 155 forests and 22 grasslands. Of those acres, 35.3 million are congressionally designated wilderness. In 2001, the Clinton administration protected an additional 58.5 million acres. The Bush administration repealed the move; the case in now being fought in federal court.
This Land is Your Land : Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com