In this report, the National Wildlife Federation explores the “value” of America’s public lands.  As a noun, “value” refers to monetary worth.  As a verb, “value” refers to the act of appreciating and treasuring something. This report compiles and summarizes data from a growing body of research on the value of public lands, which confirms that public lands are vital to the nation’s economic health and deeply valued by the American public. 

For more than 40 years, corporations across the nation have invested a great deal of energy and resources in the area of diversity. Today diversity is not only part of the culture of many corporations but a core business strategy as well. Yet the business community has struggled to develop a meaningful measure of the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion programs.

Briefs in this series present options available at the local, regional, and state levels for creating and preserving affordable housing in areas where transportation costs are likely to be low. 

This report examines the differing ways in which financial institutions treat the foreclosed properties that they open depending upon the racial composition of the neighborhood in which properties are located. These bank-owned properties are known as real estate owned, or REO, properties. 

The fair housing investigation—commissioned by NCLR and conducted by ERC in Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Antonio, Texas—explores the extent to which Latinos are subject to adverse and differential treatment when trying to secure rental housing or buy a home. The investigation utilized a “matched pair” methodology, where Hispanic and White non-Hispanic testers with virtually identical profiles interacted with housing agents in a variety of scenarios. The results revealed that Latino testers experienced at least one type of adverse, differential treatment in 95 of the 225 tests (42%) that were conducted in these three cities.

Decades of under investment in regular repair have left many states’ roads in poor condition, and the cost of repairing these roads is rising faster than many states can address them. These liabilities are outlined in a new report by Smart Growth America and Taxpayers for Common Sense, released today, which examines road conditions and spending priorities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report recommends changes at both the state and federal level that can reduce future liabilities, benefit taxpayers and create a better transportation system. 

This paper outlines the successes of the ACTION TA Program and the vision of the program moving forward. This program has built upon the existing strengths in AAPI communities to develop a vibrant, nationally networked, community-based infrastructure that supports a more just and inclusive nation. We hope that this paper is a useful resource for foundations, corporations, government agencies, and others who seek to effectively reach diverse low-income AAPI families and individuals, and invest in the communities in which they live.

The study looked closely at four topics: statewide bicycle and pedestrian plans, accommodating bicycles in state highway projects, providing sidewalks for pedestrians in state highway projects located in urban areas, and implementing a statewide Safe Routes to School program. The NCBW reviewed federal legislation, regulations, polices, and guidance, as well as the policies and recommended practices of national organizations including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Using these sources, a set of benchmarks was identified and used to assess the current performance of each state DOT. A chart shows all 50 states and their positions on these benchmarks.

Community development corporations are non-profit, community-based organizations that anchor capital locally through the development of both residential and commercial property, ranging from affordable housing to shopping centers and even businesses. First formed in the 1960s, they have expanded rapidly in size and numbers since. An industry survey published in 2006 found that 4,600 CDCs promote community economic stability by developing over 86,000 units of affordable housing and 8.75 million square feet of commercial and industrial space a year.

 This publication provides a great introduction to Minnesota's environmental policy framework. It is not an advocacy document, and does not include specific positions on controversial environmental issues. For that, please contact MCEA directly, or peruse the rest of this website.