Natural Areas Association (NAA) is an association of scientists and practitioners focused on the management of ecologically significant natural landscapes with the intent to protect biodiversity for current and future generations. Natural Areas News is your trusted resource for current events, reliable science, conservation success, emerging challenges, best practices, and achievements of those who work daily to preserve natural areas.

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

June 8th marked the 119th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, which has set aside some of our most iconic national land for public and scientific use. Since 1906, nearly every president have established or expanded more than 160 national monuments across the country. This law remains a vital tool for conservation, scientific research, public access, and the preservation of America’s natural and cultural legacy.

Scientists with Texas A&M AgriLife Research are leading a NASA-backed effort to develop a predictive tool that could transform how the U.S. approaches wetland conservation. Researchers are analyzing data sets, including satellite imagery and 25 years of weather data, to detect early warning signs of decline in tidal wetlands across the country. The goal: identify ecological “tipping points” before they become irreversible.

Since 1960, damage from non-native plants and animals expanding into new territory has cost society more than $2.2 trillion, more than 16 times higher than previous estimates. Earlier calculations based on highly incomplete data were already known to fall far short of reality. To piece together a more accurate picture, an international team of researchers compiled data on 162 invasive species whose costs have been well documented in at least a handful of countries.

A new report provides a roadmap for recovering butterfly populations across the U.S. Released by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the report is a response to a recent study published in Science that found populations of butterflies across the United States are experiencing dramatic declines – an astonishing 22% decline in abundance from 2000 to 2020. That means that for every five butterflies seen 20 years ago, now there are only four.

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Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund

Deadline: July 15, 2025

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Deadline: November 15, 2025

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