STAND for Public Lands: 260 Organizations Defending Public Lands Across 34 States

The definitive directory of organizations protecting America’s national parks, forests, monuments, and wilderness areas. Search by state, category, or agency focus. Find national groups like Earthjustice, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society alongside regional organizations working on the ground in every state.

Organization profiles include mission statements, geographic focus, budget ranges, staff sizes, active federal court cases, and the threatened places each group is defending. Connect with the groups doing the work and learn how to support them.

Stand · 260 groups defending America’s public lands

Who’s defending your public lands?

Name a park, a river, a species, or your state. STAND shows you the groups on the record for it, from the national legal teams to the friends group down the street, and how to stand with them.

260organizations on the record
46live federal cases
146places under threat ↓

The fights

Start with a place you love

146 places are under threat right now. Each one has its own page: what’s happening to it, who’s on the record defending it, and how to stand with them.

  1. 1 case in federal courtBears Ears National MonumentUtahTrump proclamation cuts monument 91%Utah Diné Bikéyah and Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and 6 more on the record
  2. 1 case in federal courtGrand Staircase-EscalanteUtahTrump proclamation cuts monument 90%Grand Staircase Escalante Partners and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and 3 more on the record
  3. 1 case in federal courtTongass National ForestAlaskaTribe and conservation groups sue over South RevillaSoutheast Alaska Conservation Council and Alaska Wilderness League, and 2 more on the record
  4. 1 case in federal courtBoundary Waters Canoe Area WildernessMinnesotaHouse FY27 spending bill would reinstate Twin Metals leasesSave the Boundary Waters and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and 1 more on the record
  5. 1 case in federal courtCascade-Siskiyou National MonumentOregonTimber industry pushing for accessThe groups in court over it, on its page
  6. 1 case in federal courtGrand Canyon National ParkArizonaUranium mining withdrawal under reviewThe groups in court over it, on its page
  7. 1 case in federal courtGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkTennessee / North CarolinaNPS budget cuts threaten park operationsThe groups in court over it, on its page
  8. 1 case in federal courtRosemont Mine / Coronado National ForestArizonaRosemont copper mine proposal advancingThe groups in court over it, on its page

Also under threat: Blue Mountains National Forests, Oak Flat / Chi'chil Bildagoteel, Book Cliffs, American Prairie, Adobe Town WSA, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni National Monument, Chuckwalla National Monument, Colorado BLM Lease Sale, Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest, Western Oregon O&C Lands, Dinosaur National Monument, Everglades National Park, Sattitla Highlands National Monument

All 146 places, the fifty states and the wildlife

The matchmaker

Don’t know where to start? We’ll introduce you.

Four answers. The lineup rebuilds with each one: your best fit, a group close to home, a grassroots pick, and whoever’s in federal court right now.

1 Out there, I
2 Home ground
3 I’d rather

Money, sweat and voice all count.

4 I’d back

No preference. The seats keep the lineup mixed.

Four groups to start with

One from each seat. Answer the four questions and it rebuilds around you.

  1. A strong place to start

    Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

    Grassroots · Salt Lake City, UT

    To preserve outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau.

    4 live federal cases · $5.3M revenue in 2023 · Founded 1983

  2. On the ground, regional

    Alaska Wilderness League

    Advocacy · Washington, DC

    To galvanize support for Alaska’s wild lands and waters.

    2 live federal cases · $4.0M revenue in 2023 · Founded 1993

  3. Grassroots, under $5M a year

    Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

    Advocacy · Missoula, MT

    To ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in wild public lands and waters.

    $4.9M revenue in 2023 · Founded 2004

  4. In federal court now

    Cascadia Wildlands

    Grassroots · Eugene, OR

    To defend and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems.

    3 live federal cases · $1.0M revenue in 2024 · Founded 1997

Also a strong fit: California Wilderness Coalition, Conservation Lands Foundation, Idaho Conservation League, New Mexico Wild, Oregon Wild, Outdoor Alliance

Keep this lineup. We’ll tell you when something happens to your places or your groups.

One list, ours alone. We never share or sell it.

The whole network

260 groups, standing by

The heavyweights, the litigators, the land trusts, and the friends group that knows your trailhead by name. Search them, filter them, meet them. More Than Just Parks, which publishes STAND, is on the map but not ranked in its own directory.

260 of 260
Appalachian Mountain ClubRecreation · 7 states · Est. 1876 · Boston, MAPromote the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region.Golden Gate National Parks ConservancyFriends Group · 1 state · Est. 1981 · San Francisco, CAPreserve the Golden Gate National Parks, enhance the visitor experience, and build a community dedicated to conservation.Western Watersheds ProjectLegal · 9 states · Est. 1993 · Hailey, IDTo protect and restore western watersheds and wildlife.6 live federal casesWildEarth GuardiansLegal · 8 states · Est. 1996 · Santa Fe, NMTo protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West.5 live federal casesSouthern Utah Wilderness AllianceGrassroots · 1 state · Est. 1983 · Salt Lake City, UTTo preserve outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau.4 live federal casesCascadia WildlandsGrassroots · Oregon · Est. 1997 · Eugene, ORTo defend and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems.3 live federal casesOregon Natural Desert AssociationFriends Group · 1 state · Est. 1987 · Bend, ORProtect, defend, and restore Oregon’s high desert.3 live federal casesAdvocates for the WestLegal · 6 states · Est. 2003 · Boise, IDProtect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the American West through law.2 live federal casesAlaska Wilderness LeagueAdvocacy · 1 state · Est. 1993 · Washington, DCTo galvanize support for Alaska’s wild lands and waters.2 live federal cases
The Briefing

The fights, the wins, and the people carrying them.

Original reporting on America’s public lands from Will and Jim, free. The same reporting behind every case and every place on this page.

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