What are we really protecting against?

By 2020, more than 90 percent of all the land that has been surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey will be covered in green space.
That is a stunning development given that only about a quarter of the country’s landmass is currently in the national parks.
But the new Green Space Landscape Survey, which will be conducted by the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Federation, will also examine the ecological risks posed by new development, as well as the risks posed to wildlife.
The survey is the result of a long-running collaboration between the two groups.
The survey will also include an examination of the impacts of urbanization on our country, including the impact of rapid urbanization and the effects that climate change is having on our wildlife.
This is part of a broader effort to help inform the public and policymakers about the threats facing the U,S.
and around the world.
“We’re working with other stakeholders and with the U., which is our primary beneficiary of the survey, to make sure we’re making the best science possible,” said Sarah J. Anderson, an assistant professor of land, environmental, and recreation at the University of California, Berkeley.
Anderson will lead the survey in the Uinta National Forest, where she will use aerial surveys and remote sensing equipment to identify areas that will likely face more rapid change.
She will be joined by fellow professor and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on the environment Dr. Jonathan A. Trenchard, who will serve as co-director of the project.
“The National Park service is committed to using this data to inform public policy and decision-making, as we work to safeguard our environment and protect our lands,” said Anderson.
“The survey and the study will provide us with a baseline on which to compare our policies with those of other nations, to determine if the U of S and its allies have a better or worse track record on protecting our public lands.”
The new survey will be completed by mid-year, and Anderson hopes it will provide a starting point for future efforts.
“We hope to have a very detailed report in 2018,” she said.
“Then we will work with our partners to create a national plan on how to protect our national parks, including recommendations on how we can make the land and environment as healthy and resilient as possible.”