Land Use & Open Space Conservation

Tiehm’s buckwheat, the rare wildflower at the center of controversy for supposedly “standing in the way” of a lithium mine, is teetering on the edge of extinction. Dubious conservation programs, touted loudly by a mining company and its boosters, not only will fail to prevent the plant’s extinction in its natural range, but they do damage to the reputation and practice of rare plant conservation.

"You can go for a walk and under your feet are millions of seeds just sitting there in the seed bank. That potential for beauty in a landscape that is otherwise essentially barren in a non-good year is so freaking cool.”

Described as a ‘botanical wonderland’, the rocky ridge is home to more than 30 species of rare plants and Indigenous village sites, the Guardian reports.

he InCommon Podcast interviewed Mehana, exploring how she came to write her book Kaiȧulu: Gathering Tides, and the themes and stories the book illuminates.

It is often assumed that protected areas can serve as steppingstone habitats, but there are several factors that may impede successful range shifts among protected areas.

As the nation looks to transition to more forms of renewable energy, the country’s millions of acres of public lands could be key, drawing concerns over how local habitats could be impacted.

Human–wildlife interactions (HWIs) are pervasive, and future global change will exacerbate negative outcomes. The authors present an expansion to the traditional conflict-coexistence framing of HWIs.

“Despite the evidence that environmental permitting is done on time and with little to no litigation while upholding environmental standards, the narrative that permitting reform is needed for clean energy deployment persists.”