Eroding protections for public lands
The U.S. Congress has passed hundreds of laws protecting federal public lands over the past century through bipartisan efforts and with the support of local governments. Now, President Donald Trump’s administration and some Republican lawmakers in Congress are pushing policies and legislation that upend these protections. … Even Americans who may not seek out the wild landscapes of public lands benefit in less obvious ways. Large portions of the water supply for some of the biggest U.S. cities come from forests. … While about 13% of the U.S. water supply comes from national forests, this source is particularly important in the West, where it accounts for almost half of the total water supply.
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