A New Voice for America’s Public Lands
America’s 660 million acres of public lands are one of our nation’s greatest treasures, vital for recreation, wildlife, clean water, and cultural heritage. But at the very moment when these lands face unprecedented pressure from deregulation, underfunding, and privatization, coverage of their future is vanishing from the media landscape.
RE:PUBLIC exists to change that.
We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated solely to covering the policies, people, and forces shaping the future of America’s public lands. Through investigative reporting, data-driven storytelling, and partnerships with major media outlets, we shine a light on decisions that affect us all—and give the public the knowledge it needs to protect our shared heritage.
Why Now
In recent years, federal budgets for land-management agencies have been slashed, proposals to sell off public lands have gained traction, and environmental protections have been weakened. Meanwhile, traditional media outlets—hollowed out by two decades of disruption—no longer have the resources to cover these developments in depth.
That leaves a dangerous vacuum. Decisions that will shape the future of our parks, forests, and wilderness areas are happening largely out of public view. RE:PUBLIC fills that gap with journalism that is independent, relentless, and accountable only to the truth.
Our Work
In our first year, RE:PUBLIC will:
- Publish a dozen longform investigations in partnership with national outlets and on our own site
- Launch two annual special reports:
- The RE:PUBLIC Endangered List, a compendium of America’s most threatened public lands
- The RE:PUBLIC Watch List, with profiles of the most powerful people shaping public-lands policy
- Deliver a weekly newsletter that cuts through the noise and keeps readers informed
- Produce a podcast featuring leading voices in conservation, policy, and outdoor culture
Our stories will cover urgent issues such as:
- The rollback of protections on Bureau of Land Management parcels
- The clash between renewable energy development and fragile ecosystems
- Rising homelessness on public lands and its impact on surrounding communities
- The growing role of private equity in acquiring land near national parks
Our Team
RE:PUBLIC is led by Christopher Keyes, former editor in chief of Outside magazine and editorial director of Texas Monthly. Over his 15-year tenure at Outside, his team won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. He has assembled a group of veteran journalists, photographers, and business leaders with decades of experience covering public-lands issues.
Our board of directors includes leaders from national media, the outdoor industry, and conservation efforts. Our contributors are award-winning reporters and photographers who know these landscapes, and the policies that govern them, better than anyone.
Our Vision
In three to five years, RE:PUBLIC will be the most trusted, authoritative voice in public-lands journalism, reaching millions of readers every month. We will have a team of reporters covering all five agencies that oversee public lands, a data unit that provides credible statistics for journalists and policymakers, and the capacity to compete for the highest awards in publishing.
Our long-term goal is simple but ambitious: to ensure that the American people are never left in the dark about the fate of their public lands.
Get Involved
We are reader-supported. That means we rely on you—not advertisers, corporate backers, or political donors—to aid us in this work.
This land is your land. So is this newsroom.