In Montana, public lands are woven into the state’s identity and vital to the local economy. With a nominee nicknamed “Sell off Steve” poised for the Bureau of Land Management, many fear these cherished wild areas could be lost, impacting a proud hunting heritage and a flourishing outdoor industry.

The Bureau of Land Management has lifted its seasonal fire restrictions and target shooting bans on public lands across several Southern California counties. Officials emphasized that while the restrictions have been eased, users should continue to exercise caution when conducting campfires or other potentially flammable activities.

Two years after a protective measure for Minnesota’s Boundary Waters was put in place, there is growing concern that the ban on copper-nickel mining could be reversed. Advocates of the mining effort remain determined to open this wilderness area to development, leaving the fate of a cherished watershed uncertain.