Standing Trees

06/20/2026

“Vermont ANR has a chance to do something no other New England state has done: to put the public at the heart of public land management," said Zack Porter, executive director of Standing Trees. "So far, ANR is showing us that it would rather maintain the status quo, keeping the public in the dark about important decisions, and prioritizing timber harvest over all other values. In the face of increasing flooding risks, deteriorating water quality in our lakes and ponds, and threats to Vermont's biodiversity, the status quo isn't acceptable in 2026. We demand better for our public lands and for our communities." Read the full press release at the link in the comments.

06/19/2026

Some good news on Juneteenth!

A bill introduced to the Senate would restore Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and other important days as fee-free days at national parks.

06/18/2026

TODAY is the LAST DAY to comment on Vermont ANR's lands management planning rule! Thanks to VT Digger for covering this important issue, and check out our blog for more info and instructions on how to comment: https://www.standingtrees.org/post/take-action-speak-up-for-vermont-state-lands-1

Some worry public input may suffer under proposed rules; proponents say it would streamline the process.

06/17/2026

URGENT ACTION needed in Massachusetts! Contact your state reps by noon on Wednesday 6/17 and share your support for state forest protections! Check out our blog for instructions and a sample phone script.

Tell Massachusetts state lawmakers to support forest protections in the Environmental Bond Bill! Contact your state representatives by NOON on the 17th!

06/17/2026

***Have you submitted your comment yet?***

Vermont ANR forgot to put YOU into its plan for the future of your public lands. Weigh in by ***Thursday at midnight*** to make sure that the public gets a real say in the future of state lands, from Camel's Hump to Lake Willoughby, Mt Mansfield to Ascutney. Check out our blog for all the details!

Speak up for Vermont state lands by attending an upcoming public hearing and by submitting a comment to put the "PUBLIC" back in public lands!

06/16/2026

Not to be forgotten...the Ocean State may harbor a relatively small amount of public land, but that just makes it all the more valuable. Thanks to EcoRI magazine for breaking down some of the threats facing Rhode Island's public forests and opportunities to put them on a better path!

The program Rick Enser helped build was trashed in 2007. The explanation, as it always is, was budget woes.

06/13/2026

The places New Englanders love to hike and paddle - like Maine’s Bigelow Range - are wild for a reason…and that reason is the tireless work of advocates who came before. Our public lands are under attack again, right now, and we need you to speak up! Please call on your members of Congress to support the Roadless Areas Conservation Act to safeguard some of the wildest corners of the the White and Green Mountains: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-roadless-areas-support-the-roadless-area-conservation-act?clear_id=true

Hiking the Bigelow Range and exploring the surrounding preserve is a quintessential Maine experience. But it was once all at risk.

On this day, 50 years ago, Maine voters made history by saying NO to developers who wanted to turn the 12-mile-long Bigelow Mountain Range into a large ski resort and private jetport. Instead, Mainers who loved this place chose to protect 36,000 acres of wilderness including a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, alpine ecosystems, and countless wildlife species. 🌱

NRCM Policy Advocate Frances Killea recently joined Friends of Bigelow for a roundtable discussion and potluck dinner at the Carrabassett Valley Public Library to celebrate 50 years of the Bigelow Preserve referendum victory and the power of community action. 🥾

Friends of Bigelow members and organizers continue to play an important role monitoring the State's management of the Preserve. They hope the anniversary will encourage discussion about how to generate grassroots environmental activism as well as renew public interest in the history and future of the Preserve. ⛰️

06/11/2026

It’s so painfully obvious, so why won’t our public land managers change their practices? The highest rainfall totals often fall over the highest elevations, including places like NH’s Sandwich Range which shows up as deep purple on this map. When the US Forest Service cuts headwater forests, as it’s doing right now on the southern slopes of the Sandwich Range, you make communities more vulnerable to flooding. One solution is unbelievably simple and it hardly costs a dime: let our public forests grow, and stop building roads into wild areas. The Forest Service is proposing to make it even easier to log our headwaters. You can weigh in by telling your members of Congress to support the Roadless Areas Conservation Act: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-roadless-areas-support-the-roadless-area-conservation-act?clear_id=true

4-5” of rain in parts of the White Mountains last night, from Grafton County to points east, with flash flood damage in Madison. This map shows estimated total precipitation to highlight the max areas.

06/11/2026

Yesterday, in a sneak attack on America's wildest public lands, the Senate Natural Resources Committee, led by one of the most anti-public lands lawmakers in DC, Sen Mike Lee (R-UT), voted to advance legislation that would eliminate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Although every Democrat on the committee voted "no" and deserves gratitude, we want to offer special thanks for Maine Senator Angus S. King, Jr., the only member of the SENR committee from a New England state.

It's time for every New England member of Congress to add their support to the Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA), which would codify the Roadless Rule and permanently protect these special landscapes pictured here (and many others). Call on your members of Congress today to endorse RACA using our action alert: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-roadless-areas-support-the-roadless-area-conservation-act/

06/10/2026

At a moment when Vermonters are reeling from the price of groceries, gas, health care, child care, and housing, the Scott Administration is doubling down on charging higher fees for use of state lands, instead of pursuing any number of alternative funding sources. This isn't fair to Vermonters, and it sets a dangerous precedent for other New England states. Read our blog and take action by the Thursday June 11th comment deadline!

Vermont State Parks is proposing to grant itself virtually unlimited authority to raise State Park entry, camping, and equipment rental fees, with no upper limit on prices. Weigh in by Thursday, June 11th, to keep public lands affordable and accessible to all!