1st National Criteria For Sustainable Landscapes Released

November 25, 2009–The nation's first set of voluntary criteria for planning, design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes.was announced Nov. 6, 2009.

EPA Develops "Green Home" Site

November 25, 2009–This new tool is broken out by space type (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, garage, yard), and covers a wide range of indoor and outdoor energy, toxicity, consumption, and environmental impact issues — even topics such as finding a greener mortgage.

Supreme Court Property Rights Case Has Environmental Implications

October 14, 2009–The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Dec. 2, 2009. The case, which started with legal action in 2004, involves a dispute over restoration of a stretch of Florida panhandle beaches damaged by storms.

Feds Focus on 24 Solar Sites in 6 Western States

July 8, 2009–Good solar potential, relative proximity to existing or potential energy transmission corridors, and the perception of the fewest conflicts with existing land uses and the natural environment were factors in site selection.

Beach Nourishment: Supreme Court To Decide Who Owns the New Sand

June 24, 2009–When governments or communities pay to replenish beaches along privately owned beachfront property — or create new beaches by trucking in sand — what does that mean for the landowners' waterfront rights and property value?

New Trails Are in 13 States

June 10, 2009–Twenty-two new National Recreational Trails, covering more than 525 miles, provide a good opportunity to cover outdoor recreation topics.

Report: Hints of Substantial Urban Residential Infill

March 18, 2009–Researchers with EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation has found that residential development in some metro areas has moved from suburbs and exurbs to infill development within urban areas.

Public Comment Open for Renewable Energy Zones

February 18, 2009–The Western Governors' Association and the US DOE begin Phase 1 of a 4-phase process, with initial designation of suitable zones for renewable power generation in the western US, Canada, and Mexico.

Top 10 Endangered Southern Areas

January 21, 2009–The Southern Environmental Law Center's top 10 places in America's South that face "immediate, potentially irreparable threats in 2009" represent a cross-section of the major environmental issues facing these states.

Reporter's Toolbox: Might the Suburbs in your Area Become the Next Slums?

November 15, 2008–Are Peak Oil, the subprime mortgage mess and generational shifts ending Americans' love affair with the suburbs? That's what some high-profile urban planning types are postulating.