A Letter from Our Founder

For as long as I can remember, our public lands—the sprawling, awesome 660 million acres that belong to all Americans—have been a source of immense personal joy and professional inspiration. I regularly head into those wild spaces to adventure by myself and with my family, have long reported on their importance, and, like countless others, turn to them as a respite from the stress of the world.

But as a journalist who has covered the outdoors for decades, I’ve grown more concerned by the unprecedented threats to these natural lands. Just days before I sat down to write this, the U.S. Forest Service announced a significant staffing and reorganization plan that could gut the agency's critical capabilities at a time when we need them most. Stories from around the country have documented the impact of such budget cuts and staff layoffs, which include overgrown trails, wildland firefighter shortages, and a visible decline in the very places we cherish. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a larger, sweeping narrative that is unfolding with breathtaking speed.

I feel the same level of concern about the state of journalism in America. I entered the profession in 2000, just as the dot-com era ignited a decade of digital disruption for print media and relentless contraction across the news business. By some accounts, we’ve lost 75 percent of the local journalists we had two decades ago, and a third of our newspapers. And while there have been a few successful outliers, newsrooms on the whole continue to shrink, along with their budgets and capacity to cover important stories of public interest.

These two trends—increasing threats to our public lands and the decline of journalism—create a dangerous information vacuum around our common trust. Public-lands policy is a complex, often under-the-radar beat, and it's being disproportionately affected by an emaciated corps of writers and editors. This is why I created RE:PUBLIC, a new nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated solely to covering America’s public lands.

In my 15 years as editor of Outside magazine, I was fortunate to work with some of the nation's most talented writers and photographers. I saw firsthand how well-reported, well-told stories can spark conversations, change minds, and—to put it in the simplest of terms—make it harder for people to do harmful things. My media experience taught me that the best way to fight for what you believe in is with facts, transparency, and compelling storytelling.

The mission of RE:PUBLIC is to be the most trusted, authoritative voice in public-lands media. Beginning later this fall, we’ll begin publishing in-depth investigations, compiling data-driven reports, and reporting on key trends, policies, and people shaping the future of our public lands. Our site will also be a forum for opinions and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum, and we’ll partner with like-minded news organizations to copublish and amplify our collective efforts. We’ve already assembled a team of veteran journalists, editors, and business leaders committed to this cause and ready to get to work.

The debates over our public lands aren't going away. They are one of the defining conversations of our generation, and they will shape the legacy we leave for our children and grandchildren. It's essential that the general public is aware of policy shifts that threaten the viability of our lands. With your help, RE:PUBLIC will be there, shining a light on what's at stake.

Thank you for joining us on this critical mission.

Sincerely,

Christopher Keyes
Founder and executive director of RE:PUBLIC