George Wuerthner
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While this describes a single incident in Bend, the basic principle is the same everywhere. Indiscriminate killing of predators creates more conflicts with humans. State wildlife agencies argue that hunting/trapping will reduce human conflicts when in fact it often exacerbates them. The recent killing of yet another cougar in Bend represents a tragic and unnecessary…
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This article is full of misinformation, untested assumptions, and pejorative language It is so typical of the way the timber industry and U.S. Forest Service have “framed” the issue of wildfire to justify more logging. I added my comments afterwards highlighted in bold – – Grant will fund work to reduce wildfire risk in northeast Washington…
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This is a very good overview by Vickery Eckhoff on how wealthy Americans enjoy the largess of the American taxpayer by grazing at subsidized rates on public lands. The welfare does not just include low grazing fees, but many other services provided by the government like predator control, weed control (created by livestock grazing in…
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This is a provocative essay by Michael Vandeman written almost two decades ago, but given the increasing demand that various recreationalists as well as industry is demanding of our wildlands, it is worth considering some of the ideas that he articulates. Wildlife Need Habitat Off-Limits to Humans! Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D. October 12, 1997“Of what…
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A new publication titled Post Fire logging reduces surface woody fuels up to four decades following wildfire was published in Forest Ecology and Management this week. You can find the article here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112714006823 The research will undoubtedly be used by pro logging advocates to justify more post fire logging under the guise that it will…
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The Forest Service (FS), the timber industry and some environmental groups formed a collaborative groups several years ago known as the Southwest Crown of the Continent (SWCC). The goal ostensibly is to promote healthy ecosystems, but the real goal is to increase logging in the Seeley-Swan and Lincoln areas. The SWCC “restoration” objectives appear to…
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INTRODUCTION Rangelands make up a large proportion of the Earth’s surface, and the soils hold a significant amount of sequestered carbon. Rangelands are estimated to contain more than one-third of the world’s above and below ground carbon reserves.[i] As a consequence, there is interest in determining the potential for soil carbon sequestration in rangeland soils,…
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Chatham House Research Paper Rob Bailey, Antony Froggatt and Laura Wellesley Energy, Environment and Resources | December 2014 http://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/livestock-%E2%80%93-climate-change%E2%80%99s-forgotten-sector-global-public-opinion-meat-and-dairy SUMMARY: This new research paper describes many of the findings that have been in other recent reports such as the UN Livestock’s Long Shadow http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM World Watch’s comprehensive report Livestock and Climate Change http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf The basic…