a zookeeper dropped a frozen clam into the pool, waiting patiently as the family of four swam over. this was no ordinary family, but a group of north american river otters, made up of a mother and her three babies. the father is not involved in the rearing of these youths, and may be sent to breed with the denizens of other zoos if he and the mother do not get along well when their children are grown.

“i was always passionate about animals, and once i started working with otters that transferred over, it took on a life of its own” said david hamilton, general curator at seneca park zoo and species survival plan coordinator. “i became the otter guy”.

overcoming historical challenges

as we watched the otters playing in their pool, we were discussing the importance of transferring these otters between zoos to breed in larger otter conservation efforts. north american river otters are an indicator species, meaning that if their population declines in their natural ranges, it signifies broader issues in that ecosystem. thus, the local extinction of the species in western new york for nearly 60 years was a major influence in provoking programs to examine waterways in the area and to begin their clean-up.

hamilton, who organizes the placement of otters in different facilities and closely monitors the otter populations in monroe county through the zoo, explains the historical origins of this issue. “it started off that there weren’t any checks on trapping,” he said. “that was bad news in the early 1800s and 1900s, with the fur trade.”

however, exploitation by the fashion industry was not the only plague that industrialization brought to river otter populations in the region. companies like kodak, which is headquartered in rochester, new york, have generated immense toxic waste which, according to studies by houghton college, have continued to poison local waters and food webs. furthermore, urban sprawl has continued to cause deforestation, shrinking the range available to otters. thus, it is no surprise that their populations almost completely disappeared, either dying out or migrating to the adirondacks and catskills.

“otters don’t follow that kind of migration pattern,” hamilton said. “and they’re one of the main predators of those non-game fish. so when they leave like that, it’s like the wolves of yellowstone – the fish populations blow up, and the ecosystems can’t take it.”

a comeback story unlike any otter

beginning in the 1990s, the new york state department of environmental conservation launched a project working with zoos like seneca park to return otters back to western new york. as a matter of fact, similar methods were being used across the country as otters were reintroduced to clean waterways.

most regions did not have as local a source of otters as western new york did, so many conservation efforts had to bring individuals from farther areas with particularly large and dense populations, such as louisiana. these were employed gradually so that their fitness could be surveyed in new and unfamiliar regions, safely transferred to farther regions like new england and the west coast. however, such movements presented a major problem. 

to solve the issue of population loss, programs needed more research about the causes of otters’ disappearances.  “we looked up the information about river otters and saw that there was a huge data gap,” said megan isadore, co-founder and director of the nonprofit organization the river otter ecology project.

the river otter ecology project was formed in marin county, california, around 2012, in the midst of these government-funded transfer programs. isadore, an enthusiastic and self-taught watershed ecologist, realized that although these programs were based in sound theory, there was very little accurate monitoring going on in california. however, she knew firsthand that anyone could easily become infatuated enough with otters to help without a scientific background, and so developed a solution.

“community science is really exciting to people because anyone can be a scientist,” she said of her organization’s “otter spotter” program. “we help people to understand that science is not just for eggheads sitting at their computers; it’s for all of us out there noticing what’s going on.”

over the last 13 years, using mapping technology and surveying, the project has gathered a remarkable amount of data from people who have reported sightings of otters in the marin county through their otter spotter program.

seeing that populations were truly on the rise, this monitoring began to spread further around the san francisco area, where the new data could inform policy and regulation that has continued to protect the species and clean the waterways.

now, the river otter ecology project is working with several grassroots nonprofits across the country to develop similar maps of otter populations, highlighting the areas that still need further attention – an undertaking made possible by the efforts of local communities collaborating with researchers out of the love for the otters.

the seneca park zoo has borrowed these methods, using similar technology and community reporting to check on the health and population of the otters of western new york. today, this research is focused on whether or not the otters still need intervention; and the outcomes, so far, are very promising.

“i’m monitoring to see whether these populations are sustainable now,” hamilton said. 

as they do, they will continue to help otter populations grow by nurturing their families at zoos across   the nation.

i grew up in fulton, new york, and have seen firsthand the impacts on our local lake. lake neatahwanta is a 715-acre lake. the lake has faced pollution, water quality, and algae-bloom issues for decades.

i hope that by watching this video, viewers can better understand the driving factors of the eutrophication (or the presence of excessive nutrients) of the body of water, what has been done to try to revitalize it, as well as current hopes and plans to help get the waters quality, and toxic blue-green algae blooms under control.

experts warn that president donald trump’s second-term agenda — enabled by a selectively assertive congress and a supreme court that has wrested power from federal agencies — represents the most dramatic shift in endangered species protections since the esa was passed in 1973.

“there’s no science underlying congress saying, ‘we have decided to delist this species,’” said justin pidot, an environmental law professor at the university of arizona who served in the biden administration.

congress has only delisted a species once in 50 years — in 2011, a provision in a budget bill removed the gray wolf from the list in certain states.

“it’s really certain members of congress playing god with respect to the esa,” defenders of wildlife senior attorney jane davenport said.

there are currently three bills in congress that would delist nine species, bypassing the science-driven review process of the u.s. fish and wildlife service (usfws).

one of those bills, the lizard act, would remove the dunes sagebrush lizard — native to texas and new mexico’s oil-rich permian basin — from the endangered list and prevent the usfws from ever listing it again. the usfws listed the lizard in may 2024, citing “loss of habitat associated with oil and gas development, sand mining and changing climate.”

“it’s not just oil and gas companies (affected by esa regulations),” rep. august pfluger (r-texas), who introduced the lizard act, said. “it’s also solar and wind companies subject to these restrictions and regulations. they’re very frustrated with how long the process takes.”

pfluger, who represents much of the permian basin and receives more money from the oil and gas industry than any member of congress, said he decided to introduce the bill because democrats had “weaponized endangered species.” he has publicly accused the biden administration of listing the lizard to halt drilling.

“when the agencies act in a politically motivated way that is weaponized against the energy industry, farmers and ranchers, roads and bridges, then congress has to step in,” pfluger said.

‘canaries in the coal mine’

the esa created the nation’s system for listing “endangered” and “threatened” species, giving washington real authority to protect them for the first time. anyone can petition for a listing, triggering a scientific review and public comment. once listed, a species is shielded from harm and habitat destruction, and federal agencies must consult the usfws before approving projects that could jeopardize it.

j.w. glass, an epa policy specialist at the center for biological diversity, said carve-outs for individual species could become a slippery slope.

“a lot of times endangered species are canaries in the coal mine,” glass said. “if we’re working to protect them, we don’t have to worry about water pollution down the line.”

in his first term, president donald trump narrowed the definition of “critical habitat,” reduced the types of species harm agencies needed to consider in consultations, and axed protections for threatened species.

even as biden reversed many of trump’s first-term environmental changes, a big shakeup from the supreme court left agency rules vulnerable to litigation going forward.

in 2024, the supreme court overturned “chevron deference,” shifting the power to interpret ambiguous statutes from federal agencies to the courts. pidot said the change could produce court-made limits on the esa that would be far harder to reverse than agency rules.

pfluger welcomed the ruling, saying it reins in agencies that “didn’t collaborate with communities” or conduct “unbiased” research.

in the face of these changes, experts worry allowing species to dwindle could damage ecosystems and hurt local economies.

for example, davenport said many endangered species — including the dunes sagebrush lizard — eat insects, which farmers nationwide would otherwise need to spend billions to control. she added that species like the florida manatee — reclassified from endangered to threatened in 2017 — contribute significantly to ecotourism revenue in local communities.

“from a very practical perspective, one thing that this administration completely ignores and just shoves under the rug is the huge sectors of our economy that are critically dependent on healthy, thriving ecosystems and the wildlife species that share them with us,” davenport said.

according to a 2011 report commissioned by the usfws, natural habitats in the lower 48 states supply $1.6 trillion in annual ecosystem services — more than 10% of u.s. gdp.

like pfluger, the oil and gas industry has generally supported the esa, but has also publicly advocated to decrease regulatory burdens, especially by promoting voluntary conservation agreements over endangered species listings.

in a 2017 public comment to the department of the interior, the independent petroleum association of america (ipaa) wrote that “energy development and conservation can coexist” and noted that many of its members participate in voluntary conservation agreements.

“some subtle changes to the regulatory framework of the esa could fulfill its promise of protecting species for future generations,” the ipaa wrote.

the american petroleum institute, texas oil & gas association, chevron, conocophillips, and several other trade associations and petroleum companies did not respond to requests for comment.

a 2019 study published in the journal peerj found that 99% of species protected under the esa have been saved from extinction. still, some politicians argue the esa isn’t succeeding at its mission, citing low recovery rates. after all, according to a 2024 letter to congress from the center for biological diversity, the usfws currently faces a backlog of more than 300 species awaiting review, and nearly 50 species have gone extinct waiting for protection.

the center attributed the extinctions to insufficient funding, and wrote in the letter that the usfws should receive an additional $70.1 million each year to process the backlog.

but the trump administration proposed cutting the service’s budget from approximately $1.7 billion in 2025 to $1.14 billion in 2026 — a decrease of more than $500 million. the service has also cut more than 400 staff.

“congress says, ‘oh, look at the esa. it never recovers species. it throws up all these roadblocks. but also we’re not funding it adequately,” davenport said. “what we say is that the esa is not broken — it’s starving.”

‘still time to right the ship’

despite the esa’s challenges, davenport said it’s not all doom and gloom. defenders of wildlife and the center for biological diversity have filed hundreds of lawsuits against the trump administration, winning many.

davenport said individuals can submit public comments on proposed rules at regulations.gov, call their representatives and plant native species to support habitat.

“we’re trying to bring attention to these issues while there’s still time to right the ship,” she said.

duke university conservation ecology professor stuart pimm said americans should lobby their members of congress to support biodiversity protections.

“the reality is that we as a nation love nature, benefit from nature, and are healthier if we can spend time in it,” pimm said.

as for the dunes sagebrush lizard, texas a&m ecology professor lee fitzgerald said oil and gas companies can protect the species by using directional subterranean drilling and minimizing road footprints, since the lizard depends on contiguous habitat.

he said citizens can attend public meetings and write to industry groups to advocate for conservation alongside economic growth.

“it would be nice if we could get past this idea that the lizard represents this damaging policy that hurts people and hurts the economy,” fitzgerald said.

in the waters of rio guamá, all of nature’s sounds are often overshadowed by the loud, echoing motor of boats that travel up and down the river. yet every morning, vitória nunes and nanda baniwa instead choose to listen to their canoe paddles treading the water and the peaceful sounds of native birds and insects while they take travelers on excursions from belém to ilha do maracujá. 

nunes and baniwa live in belém, an amazonian city in the north of brazil. at rio e mar va’a, an ecotourism company dedicated to canoeing excursions, they’re able to introduce people from around the world to the heart of the amazon — all with a focus on sustainability.

“using our canoes as instruments, we can show that economic development can be done without destruction,” nunes, who founded the company in 2020, said. “we are preserving the amazon in an active way.”

they told me belém is a city that was built with its back to the river; belém didn’t care for the people and habitats across the water, nor did it leave beach space for the city’s inhabitants to swim in and enjoy the river, they said. the islands that are just 20 minutes by boat from belém and home to thousands of ribeirinhos — or people who live right on the edge of the river— don’t even have potable water, they said.

women and the waters

nunes and baniwa serve as a rope of trust between outsiders and the local ribeirinhos, and in doing so, they also put women in the front and center of the businesses they work with. 

a study conducted by fundação getúlio vargas in 2022 found that companies with female leadership were often high-performing in sustainability and more in line with the united nations’ sustainable development goals. 

“with our work, we show the importance of female empowerment in the waters, even though canoeing is dominated by men,” nunes said. 

women in brazil represent nearly 50% of the number of professionals who make a living based on water activities, according to the brazilian ministry of fisheries and aquaculture. this represents over 815,000 women who are artisanal and recreational fishers as well as aquaculturists, or professionals who raise aquatic organisms like fish and shellfish under controlled conditions for consumption. 

in brazil’s tourism sector, which largely involves nautical activities and ecotourism, women also represent half of the workforce, according to brazil’s national tourism observatory.

yet, regardless of their powerful role in these industries, they are the most affected by climate change, said brazil’s minister of fisheries and agriculture andré de paula. the reduction of fish stocks, floods, and salinization are among the most significant impacts felt by women, he said. 

“there is no sustainable future without the women of the water,” de paula said. “the strength of the waters is the same as that of the community that lives in them.”

for this reason, cop30 in belém, brazil, shone a spotlight on women and communities of the waters. from panels, to solutions, and even inclusion in high-level negotiations, the  presence of those who most intensely feel the effects of climate change was strongly felt.

seeking solutions

“brazil is leading by example” on representing and protecting those whose lives depend on aquatic systems, said brazil’s first lady janja silva. 

the country’s government had already created some solutions prior to hosting cop, such as being the first country in the world to include the “blue curriculum” in schools across the country, launching the national artisanal fishing plan, and a prize named “mulheres nas Águas” (“women in waters”) that is awarded every year. 

but cop also saw the launching of new programs like the ocean task force, co-led with france, and the approval of the belém package’s one ocean partnership, which includes a $20 billion commitment by 2030 for supporting water communities’ resilience to climate change and seeks to generate 20 million blue jobs, according to cop30’s official website. 

however, in the midst of bright solutions, there are still many developing states that are reliant on the ocean for livelihood and are still struggling to finance sustainable programs. 

pio manoa, deputy director general of the pacific islands forum fisheries agency, said some of the pacific’s small, developing islands source 70% of their gdp from fishing, which is either a first or second source of livelihood for families who live there. 

“we feel the effects of climate change already,” he said. “we need less talk and more action, especially because adaptation financing is always lower than mitigation financing.” 

as major financing goals are pushed farther into the future, and as cop’s presidency transitions to that of turkey and australia, it remains to be seen if promises will be met.  

reflecting on the future, nunes concluded, “without destroying our waters, our environment, we are leaving future generations with the privilege of exploring and benefitting from the very nature we have right now.”

as the 10^th anniversary of the paris climate agreement quickly approaches, more innovation is needed to discover win-win solutions for humans and marine habitats. could marine protected areas (mpas) lead the way, and what challenges remain with their implementation?

the takeaway: mpas – areas of the ocean designated by a nation’s government for resource protection – present one avenue to help meet the goals established by the paris climate agreement. however, challenges remain with enforcement, buy-in, and deciding which areas need protection.

the statistics: according to the united nations, only about 8% of the world’s oceans are currently protected via mpas. the un’s 30×30 plan, proposed in 2019, aimed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. at current rates, it is estimated that mpas will only achieve 15% coverage by that time. 

• beyond the preservation of marine resources, marine protected areas can also serve as carbon sinks. according to stefano pogutz, a professor at milan’s bocconi university, marine protected areas are a key tool for countries looking to further their contributions to the paris climate agreement. this is because the vibrant marine ecosystems created by mpas can sequester carbon more efficiently than areas with degraded habitats.

what the experts are saying: when implemented correctly, marine protected areas can help promote economic growth while protecting key marine resources.

• “i think companies are much more advanced than we think,” pogutz said. in the european union, pogutz argues that many companies realize they are dependent on natural resources. offering tuna producers as an example, pogutz says that firms have recognized that overfishing and habitat destruction will quickly leave them without fish to catch. 
  
• in hong kong, experts see mpas as an avenue to boost ecotourism. writing in the south china morning post, business and conservation experts andy cornish and marine thomas argue that expanding mpas can “generate substantial economic and social returns” as tourists flock to natural areas. however, the two conservation leaders also write that new policy controls are needed to help build out hong kong’s ecotourism infrastructure. 

zooming in: experts have identified hong kong as a region where increased mpa coverage could benefit the local economy and community. 

• in 2018, wwf hong kong released a report designating port shelter as a high-potential candidate for mpa status. home to various types of coral and over 100 species of fish, the location is popular with tourists looking for an outdoor break from hong kong’s bustling business district. 
  
• according to wwf hong kong, port shelter was a candidate area for marine protection in 2009 and 2012. while the movement to establish port shelter as a formal mpa has struggled with momentum, the creation of other marine parks across hong kong has brought increased attention to the subject. 
  

a ticking clock: for mpas to be successful, more work is needed from the business, conservation, and policy communities to identify win-win solutions for all stakeholders.

• according to the inter-american development bank, one of the biggest barriers to the success of mpas is funding. without adequate funds to support enforcement, marine protected areas risk becoming “paper parks.” this occurs when failures in managing mpas render them indistinguishable from other areas of the ocean. 
• as a result, organizations such as the nature conservancy have advocated for innovative mechanisms to secure funding for ocean initiatives. this includes blue bonds, which, according to the nature conservancy, can help a country “refinance a portion of its national debt in a way that secures funding for conservation activities.”

when implemented correctly, refinancing through blue bonds can channel financial resources to protect marine areas and support local communities. like most impactful conservation innovations, blue bonds present an opportunity for win-win solutions that benefit both people and the planet. 

both the paris climate agreement and the un’s 30×30 plan set ambitious yet daunting goals. solutions like mpas – financed with blue bonds when applicable – present one way nations can take a step forward while promoting their communities and economies.

after president donald trump’s administration froze ira funds intended for green banks through the greenhouse gas reduction fund, climate united, a national investment fund supporting clean energy projects, challenged the freeze in court. green banks are organizations using public and private capital to fund clean energy projects such as those including solar.

the lawsuit involves the plaintiffs the environmental protection agency and citibank, the financial intermediary for the funds, and addresses the justification and structure of ira funding for green energy initiatives. 

read the interview with yoo below.

the interview below has been edited for length and clarity.

maggie rhoads: walk me through how the opportunity to write the amicus brief came up. how did you get involved? 

paul yoo, ph.d.: it came up through an organization called the coalition for green capital — in short, cgc. my co-authors and i were trying to answer a research question about whether or not these entities called green banks were trying to allocate capital into projects that are more green, more responsible, more sustainable.

so we were trying to answer those questions, and we wanted some sort of data, and these green banks’ data, if there is any, would have been stored by this organization called coalition for green capital. so we reached out to them. they told me the data wasn’t really there, but happy to kind of coordinate whatever becomes available. 

mr: how long ago was that connection?

py: it was, like, a year and a half or two years ago, i cannot recall. so they knew about my research interest in this area.

mr: and how did that lead to the amicus brief?

py: the coalition was heavily involved with applying to get this funding from the inflation reduction act, or ira. there is a part of the ira that is the greenhouse gas reduction fund, or ggrf, and they’re trying to apply for a portion of that fund as a group of green banks, and they got it. but now, after mr. trump got appointed as president, that fund is now frozen. and because of that, they went into the court for arbitration, and for that they reached out to me to see if i could serve as an expert contributor to the amicus brief. 

mr: what courts are these for?

py: to the best of my knowledge, they went to the appeals court. they recently lost by the panel of three judges by two to one, and then they are recommended to go through this special court called the court of federal claims.

they’re now going in that direction, which i think is asking all the juries in d.c. [for] their opinions, and if that doesn’t go well, or doesn’t go in favor of the plaintiffs, what i understand is they will then go to the supreme court for the final arbitration. so i would expect myself to be involved throughout that whole process until the end.

mr: how specifically are you involved besides writing the brief? what kind of expert advice do you give?

py: one of the biggest points that these lawyers are trying to make to the judges is that the ira money and how that money is dispersed to the grant recipients of these green banks, the format of how this money will flow, is a little different from the traditional grants from the department of energy or the epa. it actually has a different form. this ira money that goes to the green banks will not be a grant that is reimbursement-based. 

mr: can you explain the difference in simple terms?

py: a lot of grants that are given by the federal government say, “go ahead and spend this amount, but after you spend that amount, come back to me and get reimbursed.” so that money doesn’t sit with the account of the grant recipient until they get this thing reimbursed.

ira money, the ggrf money that cgc and climate united received, [was] taking a different form. even before they actually spend [the money], it will come to their account balances, like, as a personal account balance.

so now the lawyers are trying to argue that this kind of different form of capital flow that is giving more freedom and authority to these plaintiffs is justifiable, or that it has economic sense, because of the fact that there [is] very well-established research showing the scope of what you can do to use those funds efficiently for different projects when you actually have those assets in your balance sheet. you have full authority to allocate such funds to which[ever] projects, which gives more efficiency, and more likelihood of effectively unlocking private capital.

plastic bottles account for 60% of all trash retrieved from the anacostia river by weight, according to the anacostia riverkeeper. councilmember brianne k. nadeau, a democrat from ward 1, said the goal of the bill is to reduce the overall amount of litter found in the anacostia river by providing monetary incentive, along with benefiting the public health of people and wildlife. 

nadeau introduced the law in january. it would enable customers to return empty bottles and cans to businesses in the district where they would receive 10 cents for each container.

“if you travel by boat along the anacostia river, you can see how many bottles and cans wash out from neighborhoods into the river,” nadeau said in an email.

the case for the bottle bill

chris weiss, 58, executive director of the dc environmental network, testified on behalf of the bottle bill at the dc council hearing. during his testimony, he said over 50 regions globally operate a system similar to the scheme being proposed in the bottle bill, including 17 european countries, australia, canada and more. 

weiss later added in an interview that 10 states have implemented bottle bills, including his home state of california. when he used to live in california, he said he would go around and collect bottles to receive a little extra cash. 

“my dad would say, ‘hey, you want some money? go collect some bottles,’” weiss said.  

california passed its beverage container recycling and litter reduction act, or bottle bill, in 1986.

in addition to california, connecticut, delaware, hawaii, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new york, oregon and vermont also have bottle bills. the first state to enact one was oregon in 1971 with the beverage container act, according to the oregon beverage recycling cooperative, which runs the program.

during his testimony, weiss said the ocean conservancy reported nearly 27% of the u.s. population is covered by a system like the one being proposed in the district. despite representing just over a quarter of the country, he said these programs are responsible for more than 50% of aluminum can recycling.

fiscal uncertainty complicates the bill’s future

this spring, the district faced a potential $1 billion budget cut when a federal continuing resolution would have caused the government to move back to its fiscal year 2024 spending levels mid-year, according to the dc fiscal policy institute.

this budget bill did not pass but the city responded with hiring and pay raise freezes along with employee furloughs, per axios. 

weiss said beverage producers will fund the program rather than taxpayers.

during the hearing, risa hirao, president and general counsel of the district of columbia association of beverage alcohol wholesalers, stood in opposition to the bill. she said distributors will be responsible for funding the program rather than the district government.

“d.c. businesses cannot absorb this level of cost,” she said during the hearing.

riverkeeper and wildlife advocates call for environmental action

riverkeeper trey sherard, 41, from the anacostia riverkeeper, an organization working to restore and protect the anacostia river, said during the hearing that small businesses with under 2,000 square feet of retail space are exempt from the law, meaning they are not required to collect bottles or cans from the public, sherard said. 

the anacostia riverkeeper contributes to trash collection in the anacostia river. they host river clean-up events and have bandalong litter traps working to catch trash in the river according to their website.

since 2015, when the anacostia riverkeeper began keeping detailed data collection of their community cleanups and traps, they have removed 187,098.2 pounds of trash from the anacostia river, averaging out to 17,000 pounds of trash per year as of october 2025, according to an email sent by a representative of the anacostia riverkeeper. 

the email said they have removed approximately 339,293 plastic bottles from the river.

these plastic bottles have effects on people, sherard said. he said the bottles add microplastics, or pieces of plastic less than five millimeters, into the environment for people to breathe, drink and eat. microplastics are absorbed into humans’ bodies and cause various diseases within the endocrine and reproductive systems, according to the yonsei medical journal.   

“we have plasticized ourselves,” sherard said. 

lorraine docherty, 56, also spoke in support of the bill. docherty is executive director of city wildlife, an organization rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife in the district. she said in an interview that wildlife “frequently” becomes entangled with plastics, which can lead to an untimely death through starvation or predation. 

during her testimony, she said a study from the american chemical society of environmental science and technology which she said plastic pollution has exceeded the safe planetary boundary, meaning rainwater is no longer safe to drink due to microplastics. 

“d.c.’s bottle bill offers a proven solution,” docherty said. 

as of publication, it is unclear when the next hearing on a potential district bottle bill will occur.

the resolution already passed the house and is now on its way to the president for his signature. once president donald trump signs it into law, it will reopen the region to development by removing recently designated conservation areas and federal subsistence protections for alaska native tribes. these protections ensure animal, fish and plant populations are stable enough to support traditional ways of life.

“my first thought was just shame on our federal leaders,” said cooper freeman, alaska director of the center for biological diversity. “at the swipe of a pen, just ripping this plan up and throwing these incredible public lands and this really wonderful, exemplary plan — revving it up and throwing it to the wayside and putting that decades-plus-long collaborative effort into a trash can.”

‘they all think that they can have it all’

the central yukon includes roughly 13.3 million acres of federally managed public lands in central and northern alaska.

although the bureau of land management has the authority to develop resource management plans on its own, the joint resolution of disapproval allows congress to issue oversight by overturning the blm action.

both alaskan senators voted in favor of the joint resolution to remove these federal protections less than a year after they were established, allowing mining companies to once again apply for grants to develop federal land.

sen. dan sullivan (r-alaska) said in a news release that overturning the management plan would free public lands from federal “lock-up.”

“despite objections from me, from sen. sullivan, the state of alaska, many alaska stakeholders, blm kind of plowed ahead [with the november 2024 plan],” sen. lisa murkowski (r-alaska) said when she addressed the senate before the vote on oct. 9. “they finalized a plan that overwhelmingly prioritizes conservation but fails to reflect the principle of multiple use — multiple use that is required with our public lands.”

the department of the interior declined to comment on how the rollback would affect conservation in the area.

the resolution comes after trump approved plans in the same region for the 211-mile industrial ambler road on oct. 6 to “unlock alaska’s mineral potential” by connecting mines with the dalton highway, which is the main throughway in the region.

blm previously denied the ambler road project a grant to build on federal land because its proposal to divide the habitat would endanger animal populations, the environment, ecotourism, and food and water security for over 60 alaska native villages.

without federal land protections, it may soon be possible to turn acreage over to state management — allowing the state to authorize further development with less input from blm.

conservationists like freeman say they are worried removing these protections will prioritize economic gains over the natural landscape and wildlife.

“they all think that they can have it all, that we can carve roads and put in oil and gas development and log old growth forests and mine, mine anywhere we want, and then it’ll all stay the same,” freeman said. “that’s a complete fantasy. all that will do is turn alaska into a wasteland and result in the loss of the subsistence culture that is in our amazing wildlife. it’s so much of what it means for alaska to be alaska.”

a years-long fight for conservation

for over a decade, federal workers collaborated with alaska native tribes, alaskan residents, federal agencies, and state representatives to develop a federal strategy to manage public lands in the central yukon.

the years of work culminated in november 2024, when blm finalized its rule.

the resulting central yukon resource management plan designated 21 areas for conservation and research, totaling roughly 3,611,000 acres. on these lands, mining and development companies must submit a full plan for their projects and receive federal authorization before moving forward. blm is legally required to consider environmental impacts in its review.

mickey stickman, the former first chief of the nulato tribe and bering sea-interior tribal commission executive board member, participated in the discussions that led to the management plan and said he is shocked that it is now in jeopardy.

“we’re just living our culture,” stickman said. “we’re just trying to live our lifestyle, and it’s just a way of life, but people don’t understand it, because there’s no money involved.”

the management plan designated caribou, dall sheep, moose, and north american beaver as “priority species” for the region, and it set several protections for specific habitats. these management policies include mitigating risks to wildlife when authorizing certain activities in conservation areas and closing a few habitats to mineral leasing, development, or disposal.

it similarly designated several rivers as “areas of critical environmental concern” to protect fish spawning grounds and closed some floodplains to mineral disposals.

the management rule also protects habitat corridors, which enable species like caribou to safely migrate in search of food and breeding grounds. freeman said these corridors are important for maintaining the natural alaskan landscape and supporting key food sources for indigenous peoples.

“every time we bring a whole moose into the village, there’s no monetary value put on that moose,” stickman said. “the state don’t care because they only want money.”

now, these federal protections will end

freeman said alaska is one of the last states with its wilderness untouched, which allows its residents and indigenous peoples to live off the land as they have for generations.

however, this wild landscape is changing — and with it, the way of life for some of its inhabitants, particularly alaska native tribes.

stickman said last year was the first time the western arctic caribou working group imposed hunting quotas for alaska natives, limiting families to five caribou each year in order to protect the herd. families once could hunt up to five caribou in one day, he said. he added that salmon catches have also yielded fewer fish than in previous years.

if signed into law, the resolution would further endanger food security, stickman said. he emphasized that overturning the federal subsistence protections opens wildlife up to people who hunt for sport, and removing conservation protections endangers species that support indigenous ways of life.

“i’m not going anywhere anytime soon, and that’s the difference between being indigenous and being white,” stickman said. “we like to live with our homelands forever.”

have you ever seen a bird fly into a window? if you have, chances are you’re not alone. building collisions account for over 1 billion bird deaths in the united states every year. this, along with other human factors, has led to a nearly 30% decline in the overall population of birds in north america over the past 50 years, impacting crop production, seed dispersal, and the billion-dollar birding industry. 

yet, across the country, organizations continue to fight for our avian friends, even in the face of mounting adversity. one such group, city wildlife, a rehabilitation center on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, has made it their mission to stop as many bird deaths as possible. their lights out dc initiative has been especially impactful, not only raising public awareness about the dangers of artificial light during migration seasons but also driving meaningful legislative change through years of hands-on work.

on saturday, june 14, ohio county in the west virginia northern panhandle experienced devastating floods. the rain fell quickly, with 4 inches of rain accumulating within 30 minutes. nine people were killed and at least 100 homes were damaged.

“we got the alert at 8:45, seconds before she yelled, ‘logan, there is a car floating down the creek,’” logan pickens, a resident of triadelphia, w. va., said, describing the moment he and his wife jenna realized they were in real danger. 

after the west virginia floods, it took over a month for president donald j. trump to approve a major disaster declaration and an emergency declaration for ohio county, leaving residents at a standstill amongst the rubble that was once their home. 

this is not the first time trump has deserted a state amidst destruction. last september, hurricane helene hit north carolina, killing dozens of people.

in late may, the trump administration denied north carolina’s request to reimburse 100% of the state funds used for aid caused by hurricane helene. according to abc, a statement from north carolina gov. josh stein said, “the denial will cost state residents ‘hundreds of millions of dollars.’”

unfortunately, the neglect experienced at the hands of the trump administration is no surprise, as he continues to deny federal disaster aid across the country.

the aftermath of the storm in ohio county remains tragic.

sunday morning sunlight revealed the total damage that was not visible through the pouring rain and dark night sky. skeletons of where homes once stood, their wooden bones scattered on the swampy ground. the insides of buildings had become the outsides, with washing machines resting on the hoods of cars and shower curtains hanging from trees.

i remember driving my sister and i to get a free tetanus shot after helping a family friend clean out her flooded basement. the water was up to our waists. unable to see anything, we reached aimlessly for possessions, unable to identify them as they were covered in mud. 

we drove past big wheeling creek, observing the firemen wading in the water. “oh my god,” my sister said. “that fireman is throwing up on the bank. do you think he found a body?”

entire roads had caved into the creek, the exact body of water that had engulfed them the night before. as we drove by, we watched kids in muck boots hang off the backs of four wheelers, riding over the rubble. others made their way by foot, carefully trekking through the mud with buckets and shovels in hand. 

no one really spoke to each other. the destruction was loud enough.

changing flood risks 

the first sign of potential flooding was at 3:40 p.m. on saturday, june 14, when the national weather service predicted “scattered areas of flash flooding expected going through this evening.” at 8:06 p.m., another flash flood warning was sent out.

jeff oechslein, a meteorologist for wtov9, a local news station, explained that the exact location of potential flooding could not be determined because thunderstorms were so small-scale.

however, flood maps, which are managed by the federal emergency management agency, are created as a tool to show which areas within a community are prone to flooding. 

as explained on fema’s official website, “the mapping process helps you and your community understand your flood risk and make more informed decisions about how to reduce or manage your risk.”

according to the national flood insurance reform act of 1994, under section 575, flood maps should be updated once every five years. the flood maps for wheeling, triadelphia, elm grove, and valley grove, w. va., have not been updated since june 2006, over 19 years ago.

outdated maps may not accurately represent the level of flood risk for an area, leaving people who are likely to experience flooding without an understanding of their risk and without flood insurance, west virginia university associate professor of geography aaron maxwell explained. 

“fema flood maps don’t account for climate change,” dr. jamie shinn, maxwell’s colleague and an assistant professor in the department of environmental studies at the state university of new york, said.

shinn believes climate change has contributed to the floods that have continued to strike the nation this summer. she is well aware of the landscape and climate of west virginia and surrounding areas, as she is a part of the research team that helped to develop the west virginia flood resiliency framework and was formerly an assistant professor of geology and geography at wvu. 

“we know the increased intensity of rainfall from climate change is increasing storms and floods,” dr. shinn said.

without aid, a community responds

as climate change increases the frequency and danger of natural disasters, trump continues to make cuts to climate change research and fema flood mitigation programs, which a state like west virginia relies on.

the west virginia flood resiliency trust fund has no money, as a proposal to allot $50 million to flood relief assistance was rejected by the west virginia house of delegates in april. this means the area can only make a full recovery from the flood with aid from fema.

the radio silence from the president following the flooding and destruction of their homes left many west virginians wondering: where is fema? and where is trump?

patty templin, a longtime wheeling resident, was on her front porch calling for her dog when the flood began. 

templin’s entire garage and basement were flooded, destroying her car and many valuables, including clothing that belonged to her late husband, tim. along with these items was a “maga” hat. 

templin expressed confusion about the lack of flood assistance from fema and support from trump. “he went to texas,” she said. “he was in pittsburgh and i thought, ‘well, if he is in pittsburgh, why can’t he come here?’ it actually did upset me. it’s like we don’t exist.” 

trump visited texas on july 11 to view damage left by floods there. the president had not acknowledged west virginia’s flooding at the time. 

“we always thought he would have our backs,” templin said, referring to her and tim’s unwavering support for trump. “we always vote for who we thought would help us. i don’t know if i would vote for him again.”

logan and jenna pickens, who reside in elm grove, experienced extreme destruction to their home in the flood that left almost everything destroyed. the couple explained that they each submitted the fema survey reporting the damage to their home and items twice. 

jenna pickens described feeling betrayed by trump’s inaction to declare the flooding a disaster.

“it felt like he was turning his back on us,” she said.

in contrast to the lack of aid given by federal funding, the pickenses expressed deep gratitude for the aid and help offered by the residents of wheeling and the surrounding communities. 

“my biggest thing is the community being together,” jenna pickens said. “it was very encouraging to have people coming out of the woodwork to donate things to you and volunteer.”

on june 22, 2025, ohio county received $11.7 million in individual assistance. there has still no allocation of public assistance aid, which would repair public areas like roads and bridges.

despite the lack of assistance from fema and from the federal government as a whole, triadelphia, w. va., and countless other towns that have experienced devastating effects from natural disasters persist. 

logan pickens summed up the unity, history, and resiliency of west virginia in one simple sentence: “west virginia has always fought to protect ourselves because no one else has.”