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Sutton Mountain proposed National Monument lies along the John Day River in Central Oregon. Photo George Wuerthner Thus far in his administration, President Biden has been sparing in his use of his executive authority to create national monuments. Even with his recent designation of the Avi Kwa Ame NM in Nevada and Castner Range in…
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The McNeil Biomass Burner in Burlington Vermont, is the state’s single source of air pollution. Photo George Wuerthner Presently around the West, the Forest Service, timber advocates, and far too many conservation organizations are promoting biofuels and biomass energy as “Green Energy.” The FS and its allies want to cut more wood (which they term fuels…
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Bison migrate from Yellowstone National Park to access snow-free areas where they can obtain forage. Photo George Wuerthner This winter, more than a thousand bison were killed by tribal members after leaving Yellowstone National Park’s protection. Last week, I found some recent carcasses killed by the tribes, but the good news is that most of…
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Much of the debate in fire science is about the historical fire regime in dry conifer forests such as these ponderosa pine in the Ochoco Mountains of Oregon. Photo George Wuerthner A critical paper discussing fire ecology and, by implication, fire policy was published in the Journal Fire. The paper’s title: “Countering Omitted Evidence of…
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Tribal members gutting a bison killed on Custer Gallatin National Forest land near Gardiner, Montana. As of a week ago, as many as 1,139 bison have been slaughtered by tribal members. Yet the entire so-called tribal bison “hunt” may be illegal. Yet, no group, including those who profess to care about the bison, including the…
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Targeted grazing seeks to create vegetation free zones, which advocates suggest will assist firefighters in controlling blazes. However, the collateral damage from grazing vastly exceeds any benefits. Photo George Wuerthner A recent article in the Post Register described the research that the University of Idaho Range Department conducted on fuel breaks, especially those resulting…
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Feral horses graze the Pryor Mountains. Photo George Wuerthner The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently accepting comments on a proposed change in its wild horse management plan for the Pryor Mountains. The BLM needs positive encouragement to follow up on its proposed plan to reduce the Pryor Mountain horse herd to counter the…
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The western slope of the Cascades contains some of the greatest concentrations of old-growth Douglas Fir forests in the United States. Photo George Wuerthner Some of the most spectacular forests of Douglas fir in the West are found on the west slope of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. Though heavily logged by the timber industry…