Forest Service

  • From the Missoula Independent: Feature on the Brandborgs from the Bitterroot

    Ralph Maughan

    Like an oak. The stubborn Brandborgs and the fight for wilderness by Jessica Mayer. The Missoula Independent. I have heard tales of Stewart Brandborg since I was a young man. I’ve never met him. He still lives in the Bitterroot Valley and fights on. It isn’t just one generation though. Stewart Brandborg’s father, Guy was…

  • Megaloads hearing to enter third week

    Ralph Maughan

    Folks continue to have plenty to say- Here is the story on the coming third week of testimony, from the Spokesman-Review. It seems to me that local folks willing to testify are mostly unhappy.  Here is a detailed story about past testimony in New West. New Idaho Megaloads Hearings Address More Than 200 Shipments. By…

  • National Parks to close, but BLM and National Forests open — Barker

    Ralph Maughan

    Rocky Barker has a blog today about the upcoming status of public lands in the government shutdown. National forests and BLM lands will remain open but national parks close. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman Update. Looks like some deal was worked out late Friday night. Government remains open

  • If gov’t shuts down, what happens to visitors in the national parks?

    Ralph Maughan

    Shutdown is likely. National Parks will be closed. Other public lands? It looks more and more like a government shutdown of uncertain duration. Dept of Interior just made it clear that national parks and monuments will be closed down and “secured.”  I have to wonder what will happen come Saturday to all those currently inside…

  • Federal firefighting promotes building in the wildland interface

    Ralph Maughan

    So then, maybe it should stop? Economist Ray Rasker spoke the obvious at University of Montana’s Conservation and Climate Change lecture series. He also talked a little politics. If there is no guarantee of the feeds throwing money to the wind to save houses along the national forest boundaries the counties might be a lot…

  • Natural gas drilling proposal in Wyoming Range gets 40,000 comments!!

    Ralph Maughan

    Wyoming folks love the Wyoming Range and fear fracking- An unprecedented number of comments came in on the Plains Exploration & Production Co.’s (PXP) plan for up to 136 gas wells south of Bondurant near Noble Basin. Most of the Wyoming and adjacent Salt River Range has been withdrawn from oil and gas leasing/drilling by…

  • New planning regs by Forest Service

    Ralph Maughan

    Obama offers not-so-friendly to wildlife provisions? After 40 public meetings that drew 3,000 participants and 25,000 comments, the Forest Services has issued new draft rules governing the entire national forest system. Conservation groups are focusing on what they consider to be changes to the wildlife portion that would give too much discretion to local forest…

  • Forest Service rejects oil, gas leases in the Wyoming Range

    Ralph Maughan

    Oil and gas development of the Wyoming Mountain Range is very unpopular- Folks in NW Wyoming are rejoicing that the Bridger-Teton National Forest has announced the rejection of some of  the last of the requested natural gas leases in the Wyoming Mountain Range 20 miles NW of Pinedale (30 miles southeast of Jackson Hole). Forest…

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‎”At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour.”

Edward Abbey

“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.”

Jim Fowler

“Our forests offer much more than just beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Each one has a different story to tell.”

Raveena Tandon

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