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The George Wright Society champions stewardship of parks, protected & conserved areas, cultural sites, and other kinds of place-based conservation by connecting people, places, knowledge, and ideas. By uniting people from many different backgrounds around a common passion for protecting Earth’s natural and cultural heritage, we create the collaboration needed to meet today’s greatest conservation challenges.

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INNOVATING ACROSS BOUNDARIES FOR
Parks • Cultural Sites
Protected / Conserved Areas


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University of Montana, Missoula  •  October 20–23, 2025

Plan to join us as we launch a new series of annual workshops exploring the latest in place-based conservation!

Call for Proposals now open through April 1!

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

Play Video

The first-ever biography of our namesake — the visionary who revolutionized management of America‘s national parks

“Emory’s enumeration of Wright’s accomplishments—including a survey of wildlife in Western parks, the first of its kind—is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Highly recommended for nature lovers and park enthusiasts.” LIBRARY JOURNAL

Watch our virtual chat
with author Jerry Emory!
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Parkwire,  GWS’s daily global digest

of park news  •  Follow on FB

Latest top headlines  •  25 February 2025

About 700 USNPS employees accepted the controversial "fork in the road" resignation offer from Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, leaving the already understaffed agency even more threadbare. https://buff.ly/4kcERjv
 
A deal announced in January was supposed to be the end of the long-running controversy over ranching in Point Reyes NS. It isn't. https://buff.ly/4bjwi24
 
An upside-down American flag was hung on the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite NP to protest Trump's firings in the USNPS. https://buff.ly/3ERWMfb

Following a huge outcry, the Trump administration has backtracked on USNPS seasonal hirings. All previous rescinded seasonal positions have been restored, and the agency is allowed to hire 7,700 seasonals this year — an increase from previous years. https://buff.ly/4h8nAp3

Trump's firings have decimated the USNPS archaeological staff in the agency's Southeast Regional Office. https://buff.ly/4kd8Bgi

Trump wants to essentially eliminate the Presidio Trust, a federal agency that helps oversee the Presidio of San Francisco, which is part of Golden Gate NRA. https://buff.ly/3EOQNYA

Trump moved to significantly weaken one of the US's most important environmental laws NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. https://buff.ly/435Dqx3

Trump's deep cuts to USNPS staff and chaotic off-again/on-again seasonal hiring practices has left many outside experts worried about what will unfold in the parks this summer. One advised visitors to "lower your expectations." https://buff.ly/3EV5CIR  Indeed, the first reports of disruptions are beginning to come on. https://www.yahoo.com/news/long-lines-canceled-rentals-firings-145301658.html

 © 2025 George Wright Society
info@georgewright.org

 

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