WASHINGTON - October 27 - The Bush administration allowed Phoenix-based Neutron Energy to stake 20 new mining claims south of the Grand Canyon on August 7, in violation of an emergency Congressional resolution passed seven weeks earlier that declared off limits to mining activity approximately 1 million acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park.

WASHINGTON - October 27 - Cascading from the heights of the Talamanca Mountains, the Changuinola River forms the heart of the Panamanian portion of La Amistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that provides habitat for hundreds of rare, endemic, endangered and migratory species, as well as the indigenous Ngöbe and Naso tribes.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - October 27 - An elephant ivory auction totaling over 19,800 lb (9,000 kg) will begin tomorrow in Namibia. This is the first time in nearly 10 years that international trade in elephant ivory has been sanctioned by the UN-backed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The sales will continue over the next two weeks in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, with a grand total of 119 tons (108 tonnes) of ivory up for bidding. This accounts for an estimated 10,000+ dead elephants.

- October 24 - STATEMENT BY: Laine Hendricks, Central Valley Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association

"The new Tunnel View Overlook at Yosemite National Park is an important improvement in a park that needs and deserves so much more attention.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - October 22 - Today the National Marine Fisheries Service announced its long-awaited decision to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale population as "endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act.

- October 22 - "Visitors to the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis would benefit from improved services and a revitalized Museum of Westward Expansion.

WASHINGTON - October 22 - Wetlands and streams in the Mississippi River Basin are at increased risk of pollution and destruction, according to a new report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Many of these bodies of water were historically covered under the Clean Water Act, but a series of misguided Supreme Court decisions have left them facing increased threats from pollutants including those that cause "dead zones."  

ATLANTA - October 22 - The Southeast can save over $700 million and new water supply for over one million residents by embracing water efficiency solutions like stopping leaks and upgrading old buildings.  That's according to the new report, Hidden Reservoir: Why Water Efficiency is the Best Solution for the Southeast by American Rivers, the nation's leading river conservation organization. The report outlines nine proven, timely and cost-effective steps that local leaders can take to save water and help ensure their rivers remain valuable community assets.

SAN FRANCISCO - October 21 - Pesticide Action Network, in coalition with Earthjustice and United Farm Workers, this week delivered more than 25,000 individual signatures to EPA calling for the dangerous and antiquated pesticide endosulfan to be removed from our food supply. Twenty-four organizations joined in supporting the call.

EPA is currently considering action on endosulfan in response to a legal petition and growing pressure from environmental health and farmworker advocacy groups around the country.