To provide observations and information on the emerging fields of landscape scale conservation, heritage preservation, and sustainable community development.
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On March 16, 2017 the Whitehouse released its budget framework styled America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again and the news was not great for programs that support large landscape conservation. For the FY 2018 the Department of Interior faces a proposed 12 % budget reduction and the Environmental Protection Agency is facing a 31% reduction. In general this brief document does not identify where the pain will fall except on the often pummeled National Heritage Areas. And while only the first step in the budget process, this proposal needs to be taken seriously.
With a global market of 1 billion travelers, how can heritage managers draw more travelers into a deeper engagement around the understanding of place and more importantly the people who live in a place. Can another approach the found that goes beyond just consumer driven products sometimes characterized as hit and run tourism? A recent conference and a visit to two World Heritage cities, provided an opportunity for reflection.
The landscape of the southern boundary of the United States is complex and evolving. Read three vignettes of the current conditions facing the National Parks in carrying out their mission on the border. Recent proposals to harden the infrastructure of the border, for example to build a wall, and to increase militarization and enforcement will not make accomplishing the agency’s mission any easier.
World Heritage designation connotes that a property is of outstanding universal value. It is seen a source of national pride, a potential ticket to more state support, and a possible economic benefits from increased tourism. However, this appellation is not as well known or sought after in the United States as in most other countries. So it is a big deal that the US has updated its World Heritage tentative list for the first time since 2008.
At his confirmation hearing on January 17, 2017, Representative Ryan Zinke (R MT) spoke up before the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and shared his vision for the position of Secretary of Interior. The leadership of the Department of Interior is central to the future of protecting the nation’s landscapes. Those who care about conservation at scale, protected areas, and our cultural heritage were listening carefully to what he had to say.
On March 16, 2017 the Whitehouse released its budget framework styled America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again and the news was not great for programs that support large landscape conservation. For the FY 2018 the Department of Interior faces a proposed 12 % budget reduction and the Environmental Protection Agency is facing a 31% reduction. In general this brief document does not identify where the pain will fall except on the often pummeled National Heritage Areas. And while only the first step in the budget process, this proposal needs to be taken seriously.
With a global market of 1 billion travelers, how can heritage managers draw more travelers into a deeper engagement around the understanding of place and more importantly the people who live in a place. Can another approach the found that goes beyond just consumer driven products sometimes characterized as hit and run tourism? A recent conference and a visit to two World Heritage cities, provided an opportunity for reflection.
The landscape of the southern boundary of the United States is complex and evolving. Read three vignettes of the current conditions facing the National Parks in carrying out their mission on the border. Recent proposals to harden the infrastructure of the border, for example to build a wall, and to increase militarization and enforcement will not make accomplishing the agency’s mission any easier.
World Heritage designation connotes that a property is of outstanding universal value. It is seen a source of national pride, a potential ticket to more state support, and a possible economic benefits from increased tourism. However, this appellation is not as well known or sought after in the United States as in most other countries. So it is a big deal that the US has updated its World Heritage tentative list for the first time since 2008.
At his confirmation hearing on January 17, 2017, Representative Ryan Zinke (R MT) spoke up before the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and shared his vision for the position of Secretary of Interior. The leadership of the Department of Interior is central to the future of protecting the nation’s landscapes. Those who care about conservation at scale, protected areas, and our cultural heritage were listening carefully to what he had to say.