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.

A federal judge in Oregon confirmed the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s legal duty to consider preventative measures in its program allowing insecticide spraying to kill native grasshoppers and crickets on millions of acres in 17 western states. The court’s rulings also require APHIS to be more open with the public about where, when and why it is spraying pesticides on public lands.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has advanced the rulemaking process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule by opening a public comment period. The rescission would apply to roadless areas in Alaska, impacting nearly 45 million acres. Comments must be submitted no later than September 19, 2025.

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that insect populations are rapidly declining even in relatively undisturbed landscapes, raising concerns about the health of ecosystems that depend on them. The findings address a critical gap in global insect research. While many reports of insect declines focus on habitats altered by human activity, few examine populations in natural areas.

Athens Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy are working together to conserve nearly 3,000 acres of forested land in the southern Ohio foothills that are part of a vital wildlife corridor in the majestic and globally significant Appalachian Mountains. The endeavor marks one of the largest private land-protection initiatives by nonprofit organizations in the state’s history.

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