The federation did consider other, more urban locations that probably would have pleased its critics, but those sites, near the Clarendon and Ballston Metro stops, cost too much, among other things, Van Putten said. Some leading environmental groups say that by locating in cities or designated growth areas, they underscore the conservation message. The National Audubon Society moved its national headquarters to a refurbished building in Manhattan in 1992. Five years ago, the Sierra Club moved into remodeled space in downtown San Francisco, one block from a Bay Area Rapid Transit stop. And the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recently located its headquarters south of Annapolis, in one of Maryland's designated smart-growth areas, although its new site is about a mile from the nearest bus stop.
Environmentalists believe that suburban sprawl threatens wildlife in two key ways.
First, because it's spread out, it consumes more land than downtown development does. Second, it generates air and water pollution by encouraging automobile dependence. A report last year by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation underscored the impact of sprawl in the Washington area. Like other environmental groups, the Wildlife Federation considers containing sprawl a key to conservation. In a recent study of why species are listed as threatened or endangered . . .