Pennsylvanians are encouraged to visit and volunteer at one or more of the Keystone State s more than 6,000 local and state parks during Healthy Lands Week, an annual "rallying cry" for public stewardship of public lands, parks and open green spaces in Pennsylvania. Heidi Pedicone, director of programs for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, said Healthy Lands Week is a great way to emphasize the work they do year-round with their cleanup program providing free supplies to volunteers. "Last year, for instance, we registered and reported over 4,000 events across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Pedicone reported. " .
Pollution is a major problem for wastewater facilities in Idaho. The Idaho Conservation League s fifth annual report on discharges from sewage treatment plants finds three-quarters violated Clean Water Act standards between 2019 and 2021. However, those violations aren t equally distributed: just 10 facilities were responsible for more than half of them. .
As climate change brings longer and more severe drought to the American Southwest, a community-led coalition is celebrating new protections for more than 520 miles of 25 Colorado streams. Duncan Rose, conservation co-chair for Dolores River Anglers, said if pristine Colorado streams are polluted or degraded, the results would be disastrous for native trout species which need clean water to survive, and also for entire communities and industries. "Obviously, everybody suffers," Rose asserted. " .
Conservation groups are working to raise awareness of the fight to protect a pristine California desert landscape from development, near Death Valley National Park and Owens Lake. Conglomerate Mesa and Centennial Flats are treasured by local tribes and outdoor enthusiasts, but the area is also in the sights of a Canadian gold-mining company, which is seeking permission to build roads and drill 30 additional exploration holes, for a total of 120. Wendy Schneider, executive director of Friends of the Inyo, said the area is part of an important high desert ecosystem. .