• Fire killed trees store carbon for decades. Photo George Wuerthner  In an Aug. 29 letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, lawmakers — mostly from California — said they’re worried the Forest Service remains short-staffed on wildfire crews. They urged officials not to let up on efforts to rapidly attack fires.…

  •   The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness encompasses Montana’s highest peaks and some of the most extensive area above timberline in the lower 48 states. Photo George Wuerthner By Phil Knight and George Wuerthner, Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance  www.gallatinyellowstonewilderness.org   It’s time to expand the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness in Montana and Wyoming. 300,000 acres could be added…

  • Last week, the state of Utah filed a court challenge to the Biden Administration’s expansion of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah. The state is claiming the designations were unlawful and besides the state could do a better job of managing this land (which incidentally is federally owned by…

  • UPDATE (NOVEMBER 11 The Ninth Circuit Court has given Izembek a second chance.  The court has agreed to review an earlier decision by a three member panel that determined the land trade and decommisioning of wilderness by  Secretary of Interiors including Deb Haaland may have violated federal law by overruling Congressional intent. The court’s decision…

  • The Sangre De Cristo Mountains of New Mexico where the Hermit Peak Fire occurred. Photo George Wuerthner The Forest Service released a review of the Hermit Peak Fire, which began as a prescribed burn designed to reduce fuels in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico. The Gallinas Watershed Prescribed Fire, Las Dispensas…

  • A number of years ago Bay Nature published a couple of pieces promoting livestock production in California. I responded with a critique of the articles. I continue to hear the same arguments today with various individuals and organizations promoting “regenerative” grazing, “grass fed beef” and livestock as a “tool” to reduce wildfires, among other alleged…

  •   Wolf. Photo George Wuerthner  This past week, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MDFWP) Commission held a public hearing in Helena on Thursday, August 25th, to determine wolf hunting and trapping regulations. Unfortunately, they voted to permit 456 wolves to be slaughtered in the coming year. I use the word “slaughter” on purpose. Montana,…

  • Western Watershed Project is the only non-profit whose primary mission is reducing livestock impacts on public lands. Photo George Wuerthner  When fighting the abuse of livestock production on public resources, no group has done more to educate the public, hold agencies accountable, and work continuously to improve public lands’ ecological integrity than the Western Watersheds…

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