acres

Henry Fords Fair Lane once sat on more than 2,000 acres; after his death, the Michigan estate became a historic landmark

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Fair Lane’s mansion, gardens, powerhouse, and other buildings reveal the estate’s roles as a family residence, engineering site, and landscaped retreat (Wikimedia Commons)

By the time Henry Ford started purchasing land around the Michigan side of the Rouge River in the early 20th century, he was creating a large-scale setting for his country home. He owned more than 2,000 acres by 1909, surrounding the area known today as Fair Lane in Dearborn. It comprised forestland, farmland, and river … Read more

As Alaska's land-use fight intensified, Jimmy Carter signed a 1980 law protecting 104 million acres, including 57 million designated as wilderness

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Signed by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980, ANILCA protected more than 104 million acres in Alaska, including 57 million acres of wilderness. The law expanded parks, refuges, forests, and rivers while balancing conservation with resource-development interests. (Wikimedia Commons)

On December 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed a law that reshaped Alaska’s public-land map. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, known as ANILCA, placed more than 104 million acres under conservation protections, including 57 million acres designated as wilderness. The legislation, recorded in the 1980 volume of the United States Statutes at Large, … Read more

In 1997, a 23-year-old climbed 180 feet into a 1,000-year-old redwood; 738 days later, she won permanent protection for Luna and 3 acres around it

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HT US Desk

The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social … Read more

In Sandy Springs, Peggy Miles helped protect her familys woodland; after her death, her estate transferred two acres to complete Lost Corner Preserve

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Heritage Sandy Springs Park, Sandy Springs Georgia (Wikimedia Commons)

A serene area of woodland in Sandy Springs, Georgia, has become a lasting source of enjoyment for the community through the efforts of one woman who sought to preserve her lifetime home. Margaret “Peggy” Miles was born and raised at the 24-acre family farm where the mature trees and natural habitats were untouched. Rather than … Read more

In Californias Napa Valley, poet Jane Mead managed her family ranch for 15 years; after her 2019 death, her estate gave 1,318 acres to a land trust

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A protected ridge above a valley, now set aside for wildlife and rare plants. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Some people leave behind money. Others leave behind a ridge. When poet Jane Mead died in 2019 at 61, her estate donated her family ranch to a trust. According to the Land Trust of Napa County, the 1,318-acre Mead Ranch sits near Atlas Peak, above Yountville, in California’s Napa Valley. The group announced the gift … Read more

In 2004, Ken Griffey Jr. bought 11.58 lakefront acres near Orlando for $2.575 million; the custom-built mansion is now listed for $27 million

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Ken Griffey Jr.’s Windermere mansion is listed for $27 million, making it the Orlando area’s most expensive home for sale, according to Orlando Weekly. The three-story estate features seven bedrooms, extensive indoor and outdoor amenities, and community boat-ramp access to the Butler Chain of Lakes. (Getty Images via AFP)

Ken Griffey Jr. paid $2.575 million for a lakefront property outside Orlando in April 2004, while he was still playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Now the Baseball Hall of Famer wants $27 million for what stands there today: a custom-built mansion in Windermere, Florida, that Orlando Weekly calls the most expensive home for sale in … Read more

A New York couple traded a TV for two acres, built a $40,000 home using YouTube and salvaged materials, sold it for $290,000, and moved to Florida

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New York couple built their own home for $40,000, then sold it and moved to Florida. (Representational/Unsplash)

Most people dream of owning a home, but very few people build their own from scratch. Jessica Patrzyk, 34, and her husband did just that in rural Worth, New York, according to an interview with Realtor.com. They taught themselves through YouTube tutorials, used materials collected from local dumps, and built a 2,500-square-foot home for $40,000. … Read more

In the 1930s, US agencies planted bicolor lespedeza for erosion control and wildlife habitat; it later reached an estimated 115,550 forest acres

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A fix that grew bigger than planned: Bicolor lespedeza, once planted to hold soil in place, now grows across an estimated 115,550 forest acres. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Most generations have a magic fix they believe in. For us today, it might be planting millions of trees. For the agencies in the U.S. back in the 1930s, it was a tough little shrub called bicolor lespedeza. According to the USDA Forest Service’s Fire Effects Information System, it was promoted and widely planted for … Read more

Hawaii brought in gorse as sheep forage in the early 1900s; after the sheep industry faded, the thorny shrub spread across more than 35,000 acres

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Gorse, a thorny shrub from western Europe, was introduced to Hawaii as sheep forage in the early 1900s and spread after the sheep industry faded. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Some plants look like a great idea until they take over the yard. Hawaii learned that lesson on a huge scale with gorse, a thorny shrub from western Europe. A 2000 Hawaii Department of Agriculture news release said gorse was introduced to Hawaii from England or Scotland in the early 1900s for sheep forage. By … Read more

In 2021, Ted Turner transferred nearly 80,000 acres of Nebraska prairie to his ecoagriculture institute; the ranch became a research site for wetlands

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In 2021, Ted Turner transferred nearly 80,000 prairie acres to his ecoagriculture institute. (REUTERS)

What if one of the best ways to protect nature is to treat the land like a classroom? In 2021, Ted Turner created exactly that kind of place. He transferred almost 80,000 acres of prairie land to the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture, which became a laboratory for wetlands and bison. One of the projects of … Read more