Last actions as president

• In his final months in office, Carter was able to push through important legislation that created Superfund to clean up abandoned toxic waste dumps and that set aside some 100 million acres (40 million hectares) of land in Alaska to protect it from development. 
• At the conclusion of the president’s term, the Carters returned to their hometown. 
• Carter served as a sort of diplomat without portfolio in various conflicts in a number of countries
• He was particularly active in this role in 1994, negotiating with North Korea to end nuclear weapons development there, with Haiti to effect a peaceful transfer of power, and with Bosnian Serbs and Muslims to broker a short-lived cease-fire.
• After leaving office, Carter also became a prolific author, writing on a variety of topics. Two books on the Middle East were Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006) and We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work (2009). 
• His interview with Syria’s Forward Magazine, published in January 2009, marked the first time that a former or current U.S. president had been interviewed by a Syrian media outlet. Carter was also the author of The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War (2003) and a collection of poetry.