George Wuerthner
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Hatcheries are death on wild salmon. Photo George Wuerthner The Indian Iron Curtain surrounds wild salmon and tribal policy and fishery management. Nearly every tribe in the Pacific Northwest says things like “salmon are sacred,” and they typically assert that salmon are critical to their culture. The problem is that while there is some overlap…
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Prime pygmy rabbit sagebrush habitat along the Big Lost River where I lived while working for the Challis National Forest. Photo George Wuerthner Years ago, I worked on the Challis National Forest and lived along the Big Lost River in Central Idaho. One of my favorite winter activities was skiing through the big sagebrush…
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I published this piece in Sierra Magazine in 2017 when the Trump administration reduced the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante NMs in Utah due to “local opposition” to the designations. A history review shows that in most cases, there is “local opposition” to park and wilderness proposals. Timid conservationists often cite local opposition to scale…
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The snag forests that result from high-severity blazes are a unique and critical habitat for numerous species. Photo George Wuerthner I was backpacking with a friend up the Yellowstone River in the Teton Wilderness of Wyoming a couple of years ago. At various times, we passed through areas that had burned severely, likely in the…
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Approximately a year ago, I wrote the commentary below on the proposal to remove feral horses from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. A new editorial in the Washington Post was published today arguing that these domestic animals, now feral, should be permitted to dwell in a national park dedicated to protecting and enhancing the landscape…
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A recent study claims active management can preclude large blazes like the Dixie Fire pictured here. Photo George Wuerthner A recent paper Forest restoration and fuels reduction work: Different pathways for achieving success in the Sierra Nevada has gotten a lot of press in the California news media. The researchers claim that “active treatments,” including…
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Lochsa River on the Nez Perce Clearwater NF, Idaho. Photo George Wuerthner The Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests in central-northern Idaho contain more wildlands than almost any other national forest in the lower 48 states. Recently, the Forest released its forest plan on November 28, 2023, which will determine the management for the next 10-30…
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Old growth forest along the Salmon River, Oregon. Photo George Wuerthner The Wall Street Journal’s December 21, 2023, editorial board wrote that Biden’s New Forest Plan will “lead to more uncontrolled fires—and won’t help the climate.” The WSJ is upset that the Biden Administration plans to ban logging of old-growth forests on national forest lands,…