A New Jersey town agreed to spend $13.4 million to preserve about 50 acres once eyed for dense housing; the first 17 acres have now become public land

A New Jersey town agreed to spend $13.4 million to preserve about 50 acres once eyed for dense housing; the first 17 acres have now become public land

Denville Township in Morris County, New Jersey, has completed the purchase of a 17-acre parcel, beginning a $13.4 million land preservation project that will permanently protect about 50 acres that had once been considered for dense housing development. The first deal secures land at the corner of Diamond Spring Road and Pocono Road, one of … Read more

In 1934, Black cave guide Matt Bransford sold his 14-room Mammoth Cave hotel and land for just $3,000, far below market value; the family then moved 20 miles away as the national park took shape

In 1934, Black cave guide Matt Bransford sold his 14-room Mammoth Cave hotel and land for just $3,000, far below market value; the family then moved 20 miles away as the national park took shape

Matt Bransford and a glimpse of Mammoth Cave National Park Deep below the forests of Kentucky is a world of water, stone and centuries-old human history. Mammoth Cave National Park has the world’s longest known cave system, but its story is about far more than underground passages. It’s also a story about indigenous exploration, enslaved … Read more

In 2024, a developer paid $4 million for 83 acres outside Yosemite; two years later the US is considering a land swap for a private access road through the park

In 2024, a developer paid $4 million for 83 acres outside Yosemite; two years later the US is considering a land swap for a private access road through the park

The National Park Service is examining whether a land exchange can be carried out under federal law A Nevada-based developer is seeking a land exchange that could allow a private road to be built through Yosemite National Park, giving access to an 83-acre property just outside the park. The Trump administration is considering the proposal, … Read more

In 2005, a couple bought a 2,300-acre Napa ranch for $8 million; after a 17-year battle over plans for vineyards, the land was bought for $24 million and is becoming a public preserve

In 2005, a couple bought a 2,300-acre Napa ranch for $8 million; after a 17-year battle over plans for vineyards, the land was bought for $24 million and is becoming a public preserve

2,300-Acre Napa Ranch Bought for $24M After 17-Year Vineyard Battle For years the fate of a large swath of Napa Valley wilderness has been tied up in competing visions: neat rows of vineyards or a continuous landscape for wildlife to roam. Now, after a long legal and environmental fight, the 2,300-acre property is headed for … Read more

A 324-million-year-old fossil from Texas preserves an early insect with 24 legs and paddle-like limbs on its abdomen, suggesting insects did not leave water for land in one sudden evolutionary jump

A 324-million-year-old fossil from Texas preserves an early insect with 24 legs and paddle-like limbs on its abdomen, suggesting insects did not leave water for land in one sudden evolutionary jump

Palaeoecological reconstruction of the Carboniferous stem-insect Chosha praecursor. (Image by NIGPAS) An international research team has identified a remarkable insect fossil from western Texas that could represent a crucial missing link in the story of insect evolution. The fossil, from the Late Mississippian period approximately 324 million years ago, belongs to a stem group of … Read more

A Houston lawyer bought a 15,000-sq-ft mansion listed for $15.5 million just to demolish it; he plans to donate about $4 million of its materials and turn the land into a garden

A Houston lawyer bought a 15,000-sq-ft mansion listed for $15.5 million just to demolish it; he plans to donate about $4 million of its materials and turn the land into a garden

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee and his wife, Frances, recently acquired 1708 River Oaks Blvd Prominent Houston trial lawyer Tony Buzbee has bought a 15,000-square-foot luxury mansion listed for $15.5 million in the exclusive River Oaks neighbourhood, with plans to tear down the entire house and turn the property into a private garden estate. The purchase … Read more

Florida couple declared dead in helicopter crash in Kenya; thieves break in their house, steal Porsche, Land Rover in less than 24 hours. Then comes a twist in court

Florida couple declared dead in helicopter crash in Kenya; thieves break in their house, steal Porsche, Land Rover in less than 24 hours. Then comes a twist in court

A Florida couple killed in Kenya in a helicopter crash during safari. Within 24 hours, thieves broke in and ransacked their house 55-year-old Henry Parra and 42-year-old Adam Hlavaty, a same-sex couple from Florida, were among the seven people who were killed when a helicopter they were in while on a safari in Kenya crashed … Read more

In 1934, a gun club opened on 9.5 acres beside San Francisco’s Lake Merced; 81 years later it closed, contaminated soil was cleaned up and the lakeside land is now being opened for public recreation

In 1934, a gun club opened on 9.5 acres beside San Francisco’s Lake Merced; 81 years later it closed, contaminated soil was cleaned up and the lakeside land is now being opened for public recreation

Aerial view of Lake Merced and surrounding coastal landscape San Francisco city officials have opened a search for private partners to redevelop a 9.5-acre lakeside property that was used as a private shooting range for more than 80 years. The move marks the final stage of a major environmental transformation along the western shore of … Read more

Texas turned 68,000 acres of solar farms into grazing ground for sheep; revealing how solar land could become a new resource for American farmers

Texas turned 68,000 acres of solar farms into grazing ground for sheep; revealing how solar land could become a new resource for American farmers

Across Texas, solar panels are appearing on land that has long been associated with farming and ranching, creating an unexpected overlap between energy production and agriculture. Instead of treating solar development as the end of a property’s agricultural use, some projects are finding ways to keep livestock and other activities on the same ground. Sheep … Read more

A California family once refused to sell land needed for the 1960 Winter Olympics; the state offered $103,000, but the owner demanded $440,000

A California family once refused to sell land needed for the 1960 Winter Olympics; the state offered $103,000, but the owner demanded $440,000

​Representative Image of contrasting visions for Squaw Valley, featuring Olympic infrastructure alongside preserved natural landscapes (AI-generated image) Wayne Poulsen was the man who found Squaw Valley in the first place. In 1943, he and his wife Sandy bought 640 acres there from the Southern Pacific Railroad, and by 1948 he had partnered with New York … Read more