A new national report found that access to nearby nature in the United States is deeply unequal — and that the gap is closely tied to race, income and pollution exposure.
Researchers say the pattern shows up across the country, including in the Mountain West.
The analysis from the Center for American Progress and environmental justice group Justice Outside found communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in places with severe nature loss — neighborhoods with fewer parks and trees and higher levels of pollution.
Researchers say those disparities can overlap with long histories of mining and oil and gas development located near communities across the West.
"Nature deprivation isn't just about the aesthetics of who has access to 'big nature,'" said Rena Payan of Justice Outside, a co-author on the report. "It's also about who has access to clean air and clean water."
The report noted that nature loss can have particular impacts for Indigenous communities, where nearby landscapes often support cultural traditions, subsistence food systems and stewardship practices.
But it also highlighted Indigenous-led restoration efforts. In the Navajo Nation, community groups are working to restore native grasslands and wildlife habitat. In Alaska, Tribal organizations are helping protect salmon streams and coastal ecosystems that support subsistence harvests.
Payan said the consequences of nature loss go beyond environmental quality.
"We're talking about an issue with generational wealth. We're talking about an issue of generational health," she said. "And we're talking about an issue where communities of color are bearing the brunt of the consumerism that exists in our country."
The report also highlights community-led solutions in the Southwest. In the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, residents are restoring traditional acequia irrigation ditches and reclaiming open space to reconnect neighborhoods with land and water.
Researchers say efforts grounded in local leadership and Indigenous stewardship could play a key role in closing what they call the nation's growing "nature gap."
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
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