Alaska Wilderness League’s Post

Biodiversity is the cornerstone of recovering the landscape that will support all life on the planet. We must be cognizant that this includes humans own survival.

Something incredible is brewing in Georgia, one of historical and cultural import— The Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative. Spearheaded by Macon and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, this initiative aims to establish Georgia's inaugural national park, with the revered Ocmulgee Mounds area as its focal point. 📜 Historical Significance: The Ocmulgee Mounds area, with a venerable history spanning over 17,000 years, is the cradle of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's ancestral heritage. It is a collection of essential locations that are integral to the cultural narrative of this indigenous community. 💡 Rationale and Urgency: Beyond a mere conservation effort, the initiative is an urgent response to the threatened ancestral sites in and around the Ocmulgee Mounds area. Legislative approval would not only designate this locale as a national park but also encompass neighboring treasures such as the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. 🤝 Unprecedented Collaborative Management: Unlike other national parks, the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve would involve the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in its management, marking the first time a tribe not currently residing in the area actively participates in overseeing a national park. This collaborative approach marks a shift from the traditional custodianship of national parks and indicates a more inclusive and evolved model of conservation. 🌿 Strategic Framework: The Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative hinges on a carefully constructed plan. Legislative approval is the initial milestone, followed by the required presidential endorsement. The proposed expanse of 3,000 acres encompasses the sacred grounds where the Muscogee (Creek) Nation erected seven distinctive mounds, including a towering structure reaching a height of 55 feet. 🔑 Societal and Environmental Impact: This would mark the establishment of the 64th national park in the United States. Additionally, this vision doesn’t stop at 3,000 acres. Plans are in place to potentially expand the park by an additional 50,000 acres—a testament to the gravity of the undertaking. This initiative represents a significant step towards recognizing and preserving indigenous history, fostering collaboration between communities and government, and ensuring that future generations can connect with the rich cultural tapestry woven into the land. Let's celebrate this monumental step towards preserving our shared history and fostering inclusivity in the management of our natural treasures! 🌟#OcmulgeeNationalPark #HerrmannGlobal #AGlobalPerspective https://lnkd.in/gFJFHWAC

Biodiversity is the cornerstone of recovering the landscape that will support all life on the planet. We must be cognizant that this includes humans own survival.

Land Trust Tuesday! Land trusts are working to conserve land, water and wildlife - and protect people's connection to Colorado's special places. Diverse in size, geographic scope and programming, their conservation and stewardship efforts are vital to Coloradans' quality of life every day. This week's featured land trust: Colorado Headwaters Land Trust! What's so grand about Grand County? The spectacular valleys and scenic views created by the headwaters of the Colorado River. The rivers and streams of the Colorado River headwaters have shaped and continue to sustain the scenic valleys and landscapes so critical to Grand County's economy, cultural heritage and quality of life. Did you know that the Colorado River is the carver of the Grand Canyon and the lifeline of the southwest - and is the most endangered river in the United States? And that the Fraser River, one of the Colorado's tributaries, was recently named the third most endangered river in the nation by American Rivers? These headwaters are struggling to retain their valuable natural attributes: scenic open space, wetlands, vital water rights, working ranches, critical cold-water aquatic habitat, and world-class rafting and fly fishing. And these are the landscapes Colorado Headwaters Land Trust is working hard to protect. One of the many cool things CHLT does is publish a list of recommended books to read. Check out this list - and consider going to an upcoming book club CHLT is co-hosting with Grand County Wilderness Group: **Wilderness and the American Mind, by Roderick Frazier Nash **Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser and the Path to the Wilderness Act, by Mark Harvey **Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and The Great Environmental Awakening, by Douglas Brinkley **Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside, by Nick Offerman **Making America's Public Lands: The Contested History of Conservation on Federal Lands, by Adam M. Sowards **Dispossessing the Wilderness: Indian Removal and the Making of the National Parks, by Mark David Spence **The Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection, by Dorceta E. Taylor

Here's to ending the year right by connecting lands for nature and people. We're expanding our Wilderness Lakes Reserve in the upper peninsula by 640 acres, connecting two portions of the existing reserve for a total of 11,667 forested acres. As a habitat for wildlife and available to the public for recreation, this is a win for native animal species, residents and visitors. “Wilderness Lakes Reserve features some of the most remote forestland in the Upper Peninsula, and we are thrilled to add an entire section of land for gray wolves, black bear, moose and other wildlife to thrive,” said Helen Taylor, state director for TNC in Michigan. “This purchase also contributes to TNC’s global 2030 Goals of protecting 1.6 billion acres of land, 620,000 miles of streams and rivers and 74 million acres of lakes and wetlands, while creating more opportunities to sequester carbon and reduce emissions.” Read more about how this connected landscape will serve Michigan: https://nature.ly/3tBHrtU

Interesting read.

Learn more about the Foundation’s work in our new “5 Questions Getting to Know…” Series! Program officers will provide insight into each of our program areas through a series of five questions (with maybe a bonus question along the way). First up is Getting to Know… Lowcountry Land Conservation. Lowcountry Program Director Jason Crowley delves into why, where, and how we support land conservation efforts in the Lowcountry, and provides some helpful background and definitions for those who are interested in conservation issues but may still learning some of the jargon. Get to know… Lowcountry Land Conservation. #landconservation #lowcountry #lowcountrylandconservation #southcarolinalandconservation #philanthropy

The Conservation Alliance Confluence Program RFP is now available! Please share with your networks. The goal of the Confluence Program is to intentionally connect to historically racially excluded people for the protection of natural places. Each year, The Conservation Alliance awards four grants to groups led by Asian, Black, Brown, Hispanic, Indigenous, Latin American, or additional communities who identify as People of Color working to protect a natural place. Each grantee receives $100,000 over a two-year period ($50,000 per year) for their effort to protect or conserve land and/or water to foster a planet where natural places, wildlife, and people thrive together. https://lnkd.in/gWENaueR #grantopportunity #conservation #TCA #equityandinclusion

What does collaborative conservation look like? 5,000 acres being permanently protected in northern Vermont! In partnership with Vermont Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy in Vermont, Northeast Wilderness Trust created Vermont's newest wilderness area, now called "Bear's Nest Wilderness Preserve." The 2,700-acre property, located in an important bi-national wildlife corridor, joins a growing number of places being protected as forever-wild across Vermont and New England by Northeast Wilderness Trust. The greater project also included 2,000 acres of managed woodlands that are now permanently conserved by Vermont Land Trust. Wildlands and Woodlands. We need both. #rewilding #wilderness Learn more below: https://lnkd.in/eHsB9GUr

Remaining in New England, we proudly highlight our next 1% for the Planet environmental partner, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) – a nonprofit land conservation organization protecting and caring for vital lands on the coast of Maine. Since its founding, the MCHT has collaborated with landowners, coastal communities, and other partners to conserve, protect, educate, restore, and steward Maine’s extraordinary coastal lands for their renowned scenic beauty, ecological value, outdoor recreational opportunities, and contribution to community well-being. Those partnerships have conserved iconic islands, critical wildlife habitat, coastal watersheds, water access sites, downtown greenspaces, and epic places for people to explore. To date, the MCHT has helped protect over 170,000 acres and 330 islands, now holds more than 300 conservation easements, and owns and cares for more than 120 preserves that are free and open to the public – numbers that continue to grow every year. (https://lnkd.in/gxVVnfHg). An outstanding crew of full-time staff and seasonal crew members work in every coastal county in Maine to build and maintain trails and campsites, bring people out on the land, and keep shores clean. The Trust works not only to protect vital lands, but to expand access to the coast, and connect the next generation to the natural world. Remarkably those making a living in the Gulf of Maine or who are just looking for a place to launch a boat to get out and have some fun can now rely on only 1% of the Maine coast for guaranteed access. (https://lnkd.in/gB5E4kJy). And with fully 75% of the native plant and animal species in Maine vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate, the Trust is also working to keep Maine’s marshes – and the fisheries that depend upon them – viable, as sea levels rise. (https://lnkd.in/gywAaqPz) More information about the Maine Coast Heritage Trust can be found by visiting mcht.org and visiting its video links, including those referenced in this post.